ABSTRACT:

Plants of Alocasia brisbanensis at sites in the Brisbane River Valley were recorded as 0) variegated, including (0 plants with overall coloration (called 'haze') in the petiole and peduncle plus a pattern on the petiole and peduncle, and (ii) plants without haze but with the pattern, and (2) nonvariegated plants. Microscopically the haze was found to consist of vertical lines of pigmented parenchyma between the bundles of fibers at the periphery of the petiole and peduncle, and the pattern on the petiole as pigmented parenchyma clustered around some parts of the vertical and tangential vessels, and on the peduncle often between the vertical rows of fiber bundles. Very young seedlings also showed variegation on the cataphylls and first foliar leaf petioles. A range of variegation involving the intensity of both haze and pattern was found in the progeny of natural crosses. Plants with intense overall haze appeared smaller than the ones without this feature. The pigment is water-soluble.