We’ve been puzzling how, at a glance, to distinguish E. ‘Spine Tingler’ and E. ‘Ninja Stars’ for some time (in brief, ‘Ninja Stars’ runs, and ‘Spine Tingler’ doesn’t), and apparently we’re not the only, as the two have become confused in commerce.  Though European sources have finally corrected the cv name from ‘Sphinx Twinkler’, they have been sending the excellent but patented, ‘Ninja Stars’ as ‘Spine Tingler’, which adds to the domestic disturbance, especially as ‘Ninja Stars’ is a patented plant.  ‘Patent Assasin’ derives from a cross of ‘Ninja Stars’ (which we originally received as wushanse!) and ‘The Giant’, is virtually indistinguishable from the foregoing, with similar mahogany flushed foliage and spidery yellow flowers, runs, is patent free for open source propagation, and hasn’t (yet!) been sold under a wrong name.

Quart pot