Hi Jorge, Well,I think I know who you are talking about and I suggested to him that it looked like D. polyphyllum to me based on the influorescence. Since he has the thing blooming he should have no problem whatsoever in providing an ID except he is too lazy to ask someone like Tom Croat or Wilbert Hetterscheid (I think if you are selling an aroid and it has flowered so you can get an accurate ID you should do this rather than continuing to sell it as an unidentified species). In any event, both polyphyllum and amazonense produce this type of foliage and it is not uncommon at all. What is weird is that you can have one petiole on polyphyllum produce wonderful variegation like this and the next one on the same tuber might be completely green.....then another variegated one....strange. The person who I got mine from (in Aus) confirmed this behaviour so it is not just my poor growing technique that produces this. Anyway, I would guess it is one of those two species as they are fairly common compared to many others and both have that sort of foliage. Maybe when I have a chance I can try to post a pic of one of mine so you can compare.....assuming one of mine has the lovely leaf form showing now. Good luck when it comes in :o) Dan

Hello Dan! Thank you very, very, very much for your hel and info. You will never know how much i appreciate it. ;0)

My hypotesis was and still is, that it can be possiblely D. polyphyllum. Since my main language is Spanish, i can understand better the latin names, so polyphyllum was a name that catched my attention. Though the name does not mention any -variegatum- the prefix -poly- was pointing to me something;0)

What you mention about that one leaf can be variegated and then the next one green and so on, it is really interesting. It will be great to cultivate this plant and observe it with a cultural and scientific eye. I cannot wait until have it with me.

Anyways, i really thank you for norrowing my research to only 2 species (amazonense and polyphyllum) instead of all the species of Dracontium. It will be great if you can post a pic of yours once you have it available. Obviously once i have mine avaialable i will post pics;0)

Have a great day,
Jorge Joel...
Emilia's Garden

Who exactly are we talking about here?? It has got my interest peaked?

Hello!

I was not going to react to any comments about the seller, but since there are some questions, this is my opinion, and i would like it to be respected.

This topic is about the Dracontium unknown species. I do not want to talk about the seller, because i think that if a seller does not know what is the specific species that she or he is selling for me it is ok. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with that, as long as the seller is sincere and sais that the species is unknown for she or he, as it was said. So, I just buy the plant and then i'll make myself the reseach to find out the species.

So forget about the seller and let's talk about the unknown species. Please?

As i said previously, my hypotesis is that this Dracontium is polyphyllum. Anyone else has an idea?

Thanks,
Jorge Joel...
Emilia's Garden

Jorge,

I agree that the seller is unimportant and this is why I did not mention who I thought it was. I completely agree that all that matters is that you got a nice Dracontium that grows well for you. I do not even label any of my Amorphs or Arisaema anymore as it really is of no concern to me. Most I know as soon as they poke up and long before you see a leaf as they are that obvious, but even if I did not know it would not make much difference to me. I got in a bunch of species from Japan for the first time this year (Shikoku Gardens) and put them out back without labels...some are starting to flower so I will need to see what they might be.

Good luck with the ID on your Drac. :o) Dan

Hello Dan! Thank you for understand my opinion and agree! ;0)

I posted that previous message just to avoid any controversy or any problem, you know just to take back on track this topic. As i said, i want to know about my plant, not about the seller. But i have to be fair and say that i do not have any complaint about the seller of my plant. I have bought lots of time from this seller and i have always been pleased with what i have recieved.

Back to the topic. I do like to lable my plants, because i am really interested in genetics of plants, specially in Nepenthes and Aroids. That is why it is so usfull to me to place lables in my plants for future studies. And that is why i am so interested in find the name of my Dracontium, that i hope it will arrive very soon;0)

I think i will need to wait for my plant to arrive and to develop here in my conditions in order to have more details that can help me to fins the exact ID.

Cheers,
Jorge Joel...
Emilia's Garden

Hi Jorge,

Do you do any genetics on your plants to further understand relationships?? I think if my lab was a plant lab rather than a human cell lab I might try to combine my interest in plants with some genetics, but perhaps after retirement!! I stopped labeling most plants a couple of years ago because I started growing them all in raised beds rather than in pots.....it became distracting to see the labels and since I do not worry a lot about what species it is (I just grow them to have something interesting to look at) there is no longer a reason for labels. I sincerly hope that my D. polyphyllum is getting close to flowering size, but I'm not sure how large it has to be. I have several, but they are the same clone so useless for getting seed I'm afraid.

On a different note, do you grow any of the Hippeastrum that is supposedly native to PR?? I realize there is some thought that it came over from South America rather than being truly indigenous, but it is now "wild' on your island. I would love to get some of these!! Also, do you grow any of the tropical Arisaema??

I'm sure the Drac. will do great for you in your climate :o) Dan

Hello Dan! Well... i do not work with genetics... I am a big fan of Mendel, so i work with genetics like he used to do, in the old way, no labs, no scientific equations. But still ooking at the exchange of genes thru traditional cross and fenotypes;0)

I know what you mean about labels on gardening. I agree with you, if you cultivate your plants in a garden, in beds, etc, it is certainly not aesthetic to have plants in a garden covered with labels.

When you say that all your Dracontium are from the same clone and that it is useless to cross them, do you mean that it is useless because you will obtain the same clone from the cross or because you cannot cross Dracontium of the same clone becuase it is not a successful cross and do not pollinate?

About the tropcial Arisaema... I am just starting now to cultivate this genus. And all i have is several bulbs of A.dracontium and A. triphyllum, which are not suposed to grow here, but i will give it a try. I cultivate here in PR lots of temperate plants with a high success, like Maple trees, Cherry trees, Sarracenia and even Venus Flytraps. I am really interested in find those tropical Arisaema, but i have not found a place where i can buy them. Do you have any advice or idea?

About Hippeastrum, i do not have them, but my Mother have a huge collection of them in my plantations. So, maybe if you can give me a coloration, or a form, or maybe a scientific name, i can check and see if she has this naturalized Puerto Rican Hippeastrum. Do yo urefer to a white one, or a orange one? Those are the ones i have seen mostly in the wild, but i also have see other color in the wild. Let me know.

Havea great day, my friend,
Jorge Joel...
Emilia's Garden

Hi Jorge,

As far as I know Dracontium are not self-fertile. I've only had one of mine bloom (prancei) and it did not set seed...the influorescence lasted for at least a month though so that was quite exciting for me.

Tropical Arisaema. Well, the only ones I have that would almost certainly do well for you are barnesii and album as these are both from southern India. I have a clone of Ar. dracontium that is supposed to get 6 feet tall, but mine are still small so it will be a couple of years before I can comment on the validity of that claim here in my garden....I got this in a trade and as far as I know it is not a commercially available clone......wish I could remember the guys name!! I am hoping to get some tropical Arisaema from Thailand so I will let you know if I am successful with that later this year!!

Hippeastrum: You can see a pic of the one I am interested in at the following URL: http://www.bulbnrose.com/crinumz/amaryllis/striatum_PR.jpg

I'm not sure if that link will work or not and if not I can directly send you the pic from the web site.....it may not hot-link, but you should be able to copy/paste it I would imagine.....it is the most amazing H. striatum variant I have ever seen.

I'm trying to pressure my friend in Aus. to come through with another Drac.....maybe I can get you one :o) Dan

Hello again, Dan! About the Hippeastrum thanks for the address i was able to use it with a copy-past. That one you are looking for, i am sorry, but i have never seen this bloom. It is really beautiful with that yellow center, but i have never seen it. I am sure that my Mother does not have it in her collection, nor have iever sen in in the wild or in any Nursery. It is very strange becuase if you say it is native or naturalized in PR, it is very weird that i ahve never sen it. Sorry, my friend!

About tropical arisaema... well, i will keep on looking to see if i find any of them in the web;0)

So, dracontium is not self-fertile, ohh well... Thanks for the info... I'll figure out something;0) Thanks for the offering about the Dracotium from AUS. If you happen to manage something, let me know, we can work it.

Cheers,
Jorge Joel...
Emilia's Garden

Hi Jorge,

Bummer on the Hippeastrum. It is supposed to be a form of striatum native to your neck of the woods, but who knows....I guess not!! I would love to see pics of your natives if possible sometime.....I really do not care for many hybrids as they all seem about the same, but I like the idea of species.

I will let you know if I can get any tropical Arisaema....these are not very popular in this part of the world, but I like to have a stab at them and anytime I can track some down I acquire a few for myself to try. Best of luck with your plants this summer :o) Dan

Hello Dan! Well, i have not seen it, but it may be possible that it is hiding in some unknown forest for me;0) But i will keep you in mind on my next fieldtrips. Also if i can take pics i iwll gladly share them with you. Do not worry.

Thanks for all your knowledge!

Have a great evening,
Jorge Joel...
Emilia's Garden

Hello! Well after almost 2 years, my unknown Dracontium finally bloom, and i am almost certain it is D. polyphyllum. But to be sure, i would like your opinion, specially yours, Dan. It has been a long wait;0)

Here are the pics of the inflorescence:
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Thanks a lot,
Jorge Joel...
Emilia's Garden

Sure looks like polyphyllum .. in the key it mentions that the spadix is not visible from the front , and seeing you have to open it with your fingers it confirms that ..

Wow, long time no see......looks like a beautiful polyphyllum to me as well. Lovely looking influorescence :o) Dan

Hello guys! Thank you very much to both! I just wanted to be sure i had the correct ID. I spent several hours reading the key to the species of Dracontium to find the ID. It is great to see that that time i spent was worthed;0)

Hey Dan... you see... it was a loooong wait... Patience is a bless;0)

Cheers,
Jorge Joel...
Emilia's Garden