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  The New Amorph from Mahajanga
From: "Wilbert Hetterscheid" hetter at xs4all.nl> on 2005.01.03 at 05:27:41(12534)
Guys and people,

I am happy to see on aroid-l that so many of you have plants of this
species, which I think is new to science. I am preparing a manuscript on it
helped tremendously by Ron Kaufman, Mike Mahan and Rick Peters in providing
fine pictures and data on the flowering and leafing plants. Unfortunately I
myself am devoid of this species but the original collector on Madagascar
will send me a few soon. It's unbearable..............

One observation is missing: please, when any of you digs up the tuber when
it goes dormant after the leaf has died down, observe what kind of offsets
the species makes. Either small globose or spindle-shaped tuberettes or
maybe rhizomatous offsets. Digipics of the tuber + offsets are also welcome.
Thanks in advance.

As to the planting depth thing: species from highly seasonal areas, like
Madagascar, are usually quite deep in the soil and well-anchored either in
stone debris, rocks or in clayish soil. The contractile main roots of the
tuber also help in establishing the tuber well. Species from everwet areas
are more often quite shallowly rooted in the upper leaf litter and need a
totally different soil. Peter Boyce has reported on this a while back. So
the Mahajanga species needs to be in firm soil and deep planted, but be
careful not to plant it close to the bottom of the pot, where often
waterlogging may occur. This may not stop the stalk from bending over when
the flowering part is quite heavy though but it may stop the tuber from
uprooting when this happens.

Cheerio,
Wilbert

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