Hosta – The shade foliage plant par excellence
Hosta are the perennial shade foliage plant par excellence. Only ferns, perhaps, can match them on this stage. Hostas originate from the Far East, particularly damp woodland areas in Japan. Named in honour of Nicholas Thomas Host in 1812, there was a brief period when they were reclassified as Funkia in 1817 but this name did not gain favour and they reverted to hosta. Funkia, however, is still used in some European countries today.
Hostas enjoy the fabled “moist, well-drained soil”; which plant wouldn’t? However, it is often surprising how poor a soil they will tolerate. The usual criticism levelled at hostas is their vulnerability to slugs and snails and many people are put off them because of this. This is a shame because there are many ways to mitigate against this. Choosing the right variety is a good start. In general, the larger varieties are more resistant than the small ones. Furthermore, we can now breed hostas which are relatively resistant. For example, many tetraploid (double the normal chromosome complement) hostas are now available. Tetraploidy confers a thicker, tougher leaf to the hosta which makes it less palatable to slugs. Another strategy is to overwhelm the slugs with quantity and variety. By having many different varieties there will inevitably be some that are more susceptible than others and can be regarded as sacrificial. You will then find that other varieties survive relatively unscathed. Slug pellets, beer traps, crushed egg shells, cinders etc all have their place too.
When choosing hostas, many people are overwhelmed by the vast choice available with numbers of named cultivars running into the thousands. Remember, however, that many of these look identical and differ from each other in some other respect, such as vigour, sun tolerance etc, as indicated previously. Viewing online lists and poll results for “favourite hostas” often brings up the same names time and again and these can be selected with a degree of confidence. A couple of such lists are the American Hosta Growers Association Hosta of the Year and the Top 100 hostas poll on the GardenWeb hosta forum.
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Hosta 'Color Festival'. Medium. 30 x 50cm. An eye-catching combination of fluorescent yellow streaks between a dark green margin and a white centre make a stunning Hosta. Sport of H. ' Enterprise'. (D vanEechaute, 2007) Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Devon Green'. Medium. 45 x 60cm. A good Hosta for providing contrast in a collection or as a foil to delicate flowers. Deep green leaves are of a good satiny texture form lovely even mounds. Best sited in light shade. Has a moderately rapid growth rate. Sport of H. 'Halcyon' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Domaine de Courson'. Large. height 100-120cm. A very large Hosta with satiney, dark-green, rounded leaves with a distinctive blue cast. The habit is rather open. Sport of Hosta 'Sum and Substance' or possibly of its sport Hosta 'Lady Isobel Barnett'. Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'El Nino'. Medium. 50 x 75cm. A striking medium sized hosta with a very neat appearance. Intensely Blue-green leaves which are greyer towards the bright white margins which are wider on older plants. A Hosta that always gets noticed. Site in low light to shade to maintain the striking colour. Good substance. A hybrid of H.'Halcyon' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Empress Wu' Giant. 140 x 250cm. For those who like the biggest this is the Hosta to have. The leaves are of a mid blue green and grow to massive proportions, with a clump that can easily be 2m across and standing almost as much tall in leaf alone, this is an imposing plant. Fast growing, it demands space in semi shade and a moist soil where it is sure to turn heads. H.'Big John' selfed. This variety was bred by Mike and Virginia Scaggs as part of their Xanadu series and is named in honour of the only woman to rule China in her own right.Links
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Hosta 'Frances Williams'
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Hosta 'Frances Williams'. Giant. A very fine large Hosta. The large cupped and corrugated leaves are variegated with a sea green base and broad creamy yellow margin. A moist shady site will see the full potential. Plant in light to moderate shade both to preserve the wonderful colouring and to stop the edges scorching. Can be slow to establish. 1986 winner of the Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Hosta Award. Sport of H. ' Elegans' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Gold Edger'. Small. 30 x 90cm. An excellent edging Hosta with heart shaped leaves of heavy substance that change in colour from light green through chartreuse to gold. A very dense grower that will tolerate sun all day long. H. 'Blue Cadet' selfed or x H.'Gold Cadet' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Small-Medium. H.capitata origin. R.Savory 1977. A really quick grower that bulks up in no time. Relatively small leaves, which broaden to oval as the plant matures, in mid green with a yellow margin that fades to cream. For its small size, the flowers are quite tall, abundantly produced in strong lavender, stronger in sunlight.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Medium. Identical to H.'Touch of Class'. Sport of H.'Carder Blue' possibly. M.Lavana/A.Malloy. Still a very good Hosta and one of the earliest to come to flower. Broad blue leaves with a strong yellow centre. Recorded as being similar to June except for a more solid broad blue edge.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Small-Medium. Tissue culture sport of H.'Golden Tiara'. A,Pollock 1991. Like its parent, this is a quick growing variety. The main distinction is that the yellow edge is much broader, at least half the width of the leaf. Leaf colour better with some morning sum. A polyploid sport, ie it has extra chromosomes, which give the leaves a thicker texture.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Guacamole'. Medium. 25cm x 50cm. An open mound of overlapping rounded gold leaves margined dark green. A fast grower for a sunny spot where it will quickly achieve its full potential. Large fragrant flowers in August held well above the foliage. The green margin can be barely visible in cooler growing conditions. Sport of H. 'Fragrant Bouquet' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Medium-Large. H.plantaginea x H.sieboldii. A.Cummings & AHS 1986. We've found this variety to be very tough in the garden, and relatively resistant to slugs despite its soft appearance. The leaves are a simple elegant apple green, long and tapered in shape. As you would expect from a plantaginea cross, the flowers are large and fragrant (with perhaps just a whiff of aniseed?), lilac in bud, opening white. It is very tolerant of sun which is said to bring out the fragrance but deteriorates the foliage colour.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Medium. Begins with shiny yellow leaves with very red petioles. A seedling from H.'Invincible'. B.Zonneveld/H.Philips. By mid Summer this is hard to tell from Invincible, but in Spring the leaves emerge yellow with a narrow green edge, greatly enhanced by the shine on the leaves. The yellow colour, whilst striking at the time, fades quite quickly.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Medium. H.plantaginea x H.'Tokudama Aureonebulosa'. V.Sellers. From its plantaginea parent this variety inherits marvellous flowers. Large, fragrant and outward facing they open on tall straight scapes from lilac buds, becoming white with lilac veins. The foliage is no slouch with a broad yellow margin, fading cream around a solid green centre.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Medium. (Tardiana Group) A seedling from H.'June' or possibly H.'Devon Green'. J. van den Top. This is very much along the same lines as June is when young, the difference being that June Fever looks like the contrast knob has been dialled to maximum. The Spring leaves are a bright glowing yellow with a narrow green edge. the colouring gradually fades to chartreuse, retaining more of a narrow edge than that of June which gets broader on older plants. Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'June'. Medium. 37 x 50cm. A medium sized extremely tidy hosta which is very popular. The heart shaped leaves are strikingly marked. The margins are a variable blue green whilst the broad central area is a pale lemony green fading to creamy white in sunlight. In sun the leaves show a contrasty blue and yellow colour, whilst in shade the colouration is much more subtle. Lavender flowers. 60x50cm. Sport from 'Halcyon' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Kiwi Full Monty'. Large. 50 x 50 cm. A Hosta with very distinctive colouration. The leaves are overall a good blue green with a central region that ages golden yellow from a blue green This region is edged in an irregular bright white line. A Hosta with an open growth form which needs siting in good light. Sport of H.'Striptease' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Krossa Regal'. Giant. 90 x 90cm. A large impressive plant which will grow into a large vase shaped mound, very suitable for specimen planting. Glaucous grey-green leaves with undulating margins become large and deeply corrugated. Tall stems of lily-like flowers sway gracefully above the foliage. A slug resistant variety for dappled shade. H. 'Nigrescens' hybrid. 2001 winner of the Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Hosta Award. Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Lacy Belle'. Small. 30 x 50cm. The leaves of this Hosta medium sized variety are narrow and pointed. The variegation is strong and regular with blue green centres and a broad creamy yellow edge. H. ' Neat Splash' seedling x H. 'Halcyon' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Very Small. A similar variety to 'Lemon Lime' except that this variety has a narrow dark green edge to each narrow chartreuse coloured leaf. A very vigorous and fast growing Hosta which can be used as ground cover in the garden or can alternatively be reduced to bonsai culture. Forms dense mounds of foliage and abundant flowers on relatively tall spikes. Flowers outward facing mauve trumpets.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Liberty'. Giant. 100 x 100cm. A very large fine Hosta with a leaf that is blue-green ageing light green with a very bold, wide, bright yellow margin. Rugosity improves with age. 'Liberty' requires ample moisture to achieve its spectacular full potential. can be a little slow to establish . A must have variety for light to moderate shade. Tetraploid sport of H.'Sagae' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Medium-Large. Thick shiny green leaves. Seedling from H.siboldiana. U.Syre-Herz. A excellent large deep green variety with heavily seersuckered and dimpled leaves in a large unruly mound.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Minuteman'. Medium. A broad spreading Hosta. The heavy textured heart shaped leaves are gently cupped and have striking broad white margins and become puckered when mature. Reasonable sun tolerance. Hosta 'Minuteman' is a chimeric polyploid, with the white edge being tetraploid and the green centre diploid. Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Nancy Lindsay'. (Hosta 'Windsor Gold') Leaves emerge mottled with a rich butter yellow spotting, later fading to mid green. The flowers are well coloured, mauvey-pink, held well above the leaves. A Hosta fortunei type. Leaves below 30cm Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Olive Bailey Langdon'
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Hosta 'Olive Bailey Langdon'. Large-Very Large. 120 x 80cm. A very fine large Hosta. The large cupped and corrugated leaves are variegated with a sea green base and broad creamy yellow margin. A moist shady site will see the full potential. Similar to H.'Frances Williams' but will not scorch. Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Patriot'. Medium. A medium, broad spreading Hosta. The heavy textured heart shaped leaves are gently cupped and have striking broad white margins. The leaves become puckered when mature. Reasonable sun tolerance. Best grown in good light to moderate shade. Sport of Hosta 'Francee' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Paul's Glory'. Large. 45 x 65cm. Large sized Hosta with heart shaped golden leaves with a broad blue green margin. The colouration is more gold with a deeper green edge in sun, with the centre whitening out as they age. Leaves become slightly puckered with age. 18" 45cm wide. Flowers white. Sport of H. 'Perry's True Blue' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Large. Possibly a H.nigrescens hybrid. Ullrich Fischer. Quite similar in many ways to H.'Krossa Regal', differing in that the leaves are maybe a little narrower on longer petioles and slightly darker in colour. In spring they are very thin and snake-like in the way that they unfurl from narrow pointy buds. A fine cultivar if a little slow.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Pilgrim'. Small. 20 x 50cm. A small sized Hosta that quickly makes a good size. The leaves are strikingly marked with broad creamy edges and an irregular dark green central splash. Leaves are distinctly heart shaped on long petioles. Lavender flowers. A seedling from Hosta 'Flambouyant' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Large. H.yingeri x H.'Blue Umbrellas'. T.Avent 1995. A big bold Hosta with well rounded, well puckered leaves. Quickly makes a large, if not shapely mound of tough leathery textured leaves that are noted for their deep blue green colouring. Vigorous grower. Surprisingly small and delicate pink flowers for such a butch Hosta.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Praying Hands'. Medium. 35 x 40cm. A unique variety with twisted pointed leaves that are held very erect. Leaves dark green with a blue tinge, accentuated by a narrow yellow edge. An unusual variety that people either love or hate, it makes a most striking plant when mature. For light shade. Of unknown origin. Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Medium. Sport of H.'Josephine'. Kuk 1991. This is the variety to have if you are looking for glossy leaves as they can look as if they have been waxed. The centre of each long petioled leaf is a rich deep green with a bold regular margin of creamy yellow. Forms an open mound. A nice tidy distinctive variety.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Large. Upright grower. A sport of H.'Gold Regal'. B.Solberg. Leaves have a very nice shape with a gently undulating margin. The colouring is a pale yellow, fading more creamy in sun with a margin that is a very muted green, sometimes fading entirely. Seer suckering towards the petiole and veins retain some blue-green colouring. Forms a tight crown of leaves.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Regal Splendor'. Giant. 90 x 100cm. A large impressive plant suitable for specimen planting. Glaucous grey-green leaves with a narrow cream edge become large and deeply corrugated. Tall stems of lily-like flowers sway gracefully above foliage. Sport of H. 'Krossa Regal' with which it shares many features. Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Large. Heart shaped puckered leaves with a wavy margin. A seedling of H.'Wagon Wheels'. M.Seaver. A very attractive variety with its variation in leaf colour as they mature at different rates. Each one starts off chartreuse, turning a bright yellow as they age, all the time with a cream to white margin. They are quite heavily seersuckered with each pucker being accentuated by the green shading it retains.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Shade Fanfare'. Medium. 37 x 50cm. Large heart shaped leaves are chartreuse green with broad creamy yellow margins, fading to yellow with a white edge as the season progresses. Produces lots of lily like lavender flowers. Medium sized grower. Sport of H. 'Flamboyant' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Medium-Large. (fortunei) Sport of H.'Fortunei'. T.Donahue & AHS 1986. Leaves start the season with a broad central section that is striped with cream. The colouration fades by mid Summer to a mixture of two tones of green.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Snow Cap'. Large. 50 x 100cm. A large impressive Hosta with a very round leaf, downturned at the edges. The colouring is an irregular creamy gold edge around a dark blue green centre. Can be slow to increase. H.'Wide Brim' x H 'Royal Rainbow' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Medium-Large. H.'Green Fountain' hybrid. P.Aden 1986. A lovely form creating a gently arching fountain of foliage which is best appreciated when grown in a pot. The leaves are long and narrow with an undulating edge. They begin the season quite yellow, fading into the season to a green yellow centre and darker edges, all overlaid with an excellent shine. Early in the season reminiscent of June Fever in colouring. Flowers pinkish on a very leafy scapeDiscount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Medium. (fortunei) H.'Gold Standard' sport. C. & R.Thompson 1991. A quick growing variety with striking colouration which has sported many popular varieties. The narrow leaves have a very distinctive patterning consisting of a broad blue-green margin and apple-green, fading chartreuse centre with flecks of bright white at the junction between them. Like many Hosta, getting the light levels right is important to achieving the best colour.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Sum and Substance'. Giant. 90 x 150cm. Very large, puckered, golden chartreuse yellow leaves, getting bigger and better as the plant ages. Flowers are pure white in tight heads. Plant in sun to achieve the best leaf colouration. In ideal conditions this can be one of the largest of hostas. Its origin is unknown but Hosta 'Elatior' and Hosta hypoleuca are probably in the gene pool. 'Sum and substance is possibly a triploid variety. Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Large. Thick corrugated texture. H.'William Lachman' x H.'Golden Waffles'.K.Vaughn. Forms a dense fountain of leaves which begin life yellow-shaded chartreuse and gradually age a much brighter lemony yellow-green with a white edge. One of the earlier varieties out of the ground. Lavender flowersDiscount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Touch of Class'. Medium. 40 x 75cm. A very attractive cultivar whose leaves are blue on the edges, streaking in to the bright green and yellow centre. A Tetraploid sport of H.'June' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Medium. Broad, thick textured leaves (better to resist slugs) have a bold irregular olive green margin and a pale chartreuse centre with extra jade green streaks jutting inwards. As an extra bonus each heart shaped leaf has a most attractive twist to the blade. The long petioled leaves make vigorous clumps 18" high, 40" wide and are superb groundcover. The exact colour of the leaves can vary according to temperature and age of the plant. Flowers pale lavender on leafy glaucous scape 30" high. A possible sport of H.fortunei 'Hyacinthina' (J. Kulpa 1989) Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Wide Brim'. Large. 50 x 75cm. A Large sized Hosta with broad exceptionally well variegated leaves. Each leaf is margined with a variable width cream band. This variety needs to be grown in adequate light to maintain its good colouring. Makes a striking specimen when grown in a tub. The leaves have a shape particularly well favoured by flower arrangers. Hosta 'Bold One' x Hosta 'Bold Ribbons' Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Hosta 'Winter Snow'. Very Large. 150 x 90 cm. Forms a large open mound of thick distinctively glossy leaves that looks like they've been oiled . The leaves are chartreuse green with a narrow irregular yellow margin. Good growth rate once established. Plant in morning sun with plenty of moisutre at the root. sport of Sum and Substance. Can be slow to get established Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Small. Kanzashi Giboshi. From Southern and central Korea and Japan. A form that can attain a height of 30cm, but is also very suitable for bonsai use. The leaves are a classic heart shape in a mid green. Flowering is very free with each flower a rich mauve in a nice flared trumpet on relatively tall scapes. The scapes are noticeably ridged.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Medium - Large. A sport from Hosta undulata var. undulata introduced by the AHS in 1987. A vigorous Hosta which will quickly make a dense mound to 36" wide and 18" high. The thin textured leaves can make it susceptible to slug damage, but it is still a good doer, a cracking Hosta for light to moderate shade. The long, heart shaped leaves have an attractive irregular bright ivory margin with extra green streaking. The edges are slightly rippled. Tall and airy flower spikes. Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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