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  variegated Xanthosoma/Eduardo Gon.
From: "Julius Boos" ju-bo at msn.com> on 2005.07.20 at 09:39:52(13193)
Reply-To : Discussion of aroids
Sent : Monday, July 18, 2005 6:30 PM
To : "Discussion of aroids"
Subject : Re: [Aroid-l] variegated Xanthosoma and Philodendron
bipinnatifidum

Hello again, Steve,

Perhaps Dr. oncalves can take a look at the photo of that Xanthosoma
pictured in the IAS/MOBOT aroid ID site page and give his opinion. Until
he manages to complete his review on the cultivated edible aroids there will
continue to be confusion. Lots of the confusion began when the imports of
the 'malanga' grown in Cen. America began to come in to Florida, previous to
that there were mainly the white malanga (which used to be thought to be X.
sagg. but is now thought to be X. robustum after Dr. Goncalves' visit to
Miami/Fairchild Gardens), the red/lilac malanga which is said to be X.
violacium, and the yellow malanga which was said to be X. atrovirens.
Perhaps you are correct, that this varigated specimen IS in fact a true X.
saggitifolium, which may have the 'full sinus' unlike the sinus w/ a naked
area near the juncture as exists in X. robustum, I really am nat certain!!
I have not seen varigation in P. xanadu or P. evansii as yet.

The Best,

Julius

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From: "Eduardo Goncalves" edggon at hotmail.com> on 2005.07.20 at 19:40:06(13195)
Dear guys,

I am sorry for being so busy these days. I promise I will take look
tomorrow...

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From: "Eduardo Goncalves" edggon at hotmail.com> on 2005.07.21 at 13:34:42(13203)
Dear Steve (and Julius)

I have checked the material and it could be a quite unusual
Xanthosoma atrovirens cv. "Albo Marginatum" (Pocket plant), but I have a
many doubts. Usually, the cited cultivar has a denuded portion of the basal
lobes ("ears") and a different venation pattern. Xanthosoma maffafa also
have variegated leaves (a.k.a. "Xanthosoma jacquini lineatum"), but not in
this pattern. In my opinion, (based mostly in the leaf venation and leaf
shape) it is a young variegated Xanthosoma sagittifolium (the real one), so
I agree with Julius. I have never seen this variegated form, but such
monsters do arrive all the time everywhere!

Very best wishes,

Eduardo.

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From: "Steve Ritchey" sritchey at shreve.net> on 2005.07.21 at 23:59:06(13213)
Dear Julius and Eduardo-

Thanks for your help in this matter. After Julius mentioned that the flesh
of atrovirens tubers is yellow I decided to do a "chuba check" and found
this to be true of all the different ones I consider to be atrovirens,
whether they have pockets, flaps, or the blades are shaped like they are
wearing Mouseketeer hats or not.

The tubers of the plant in question have white flesh and the unvariegated
parts of the blades are just green, lacking the the dark bluish tone that
seems typical of atrovirens, so given the options I think Eduardo's opinion
that it's sagittifolium must be correct.

Is jacquini not a valid species and should this be more properly named
maffafa lineatum or something else?

Steve

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From: "Julius Boos" ju-bo at msn.com> on 2005.07.22 at 10:11:01(13218)
Reply-To : Discussion of aroids
Sent : Thursday, July 21, 2005 11:59 PM
To : "Discussion of aroids"
Subject : Re: [Aroid-l] variegated Xanthosoma/Eduardo Gon.

Dear Steve and Eduardo,

It certainly appears that Eduardo is correct, the varigated plant in
question is a true X. saggitifolium. Perhaps a quick history is in
order---previously to Eduardo`s visit tio Miami, the huge Xanthosomas w. the
conspicous bare areas on veins at the juncture of the sinus and somewhat
bullate leaf blades, that produce the 'malanga blanca', the "chubas" dearly
loved by Cubans and us Trinidadians (but NOT Jamaicans!), THEY were
considered to be X. saggitifolum, but when I showed him examples of these
actual plants, (the first I showed him was growing in Fairchild Gardens), he
immeadiately ID`d them as X. cf. robustum, NOT X. saggitifolium.
So after looking around, he decided that many of the plants grown in Cen.
America (like the varigated one) with their sinus almost full to the
juncture, were the REAL X. saggitifolum.
Until Dr. Goncalves completes his work on the cultivated Xanthosomas (and
Colocasias!), we have to be patient, as taxonomy at best is difficult, but
ESPECIALLY so in this group , as they have been studied for years, 'bad'
names have been applied, most incorrectly, so it will take time to untangle
this jumbled mess of actual plants vs: names! Who knows at this point if
X. maffafa or some of the others are valid species or even names!
Good Growing!

Julius

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From: "Eduardo Goncalves" edggon at hotmail.com> on 2005.07.22 at 11:45:19(13220)
Dear Steve,

Since I am not dealing with trade, I just call it variegated X. mafaffa,
but if I had to chose a name it would be best to call it Xanthosoma mafaffa
"Lineatum", exactly as you suggested. The name X. jacquinii is currently a
synonym of X. undipes, despite some guys in the business think that X.
jacqunii is a good species. Whatever, it has nothing to do with that
beautiful form of X. mafaffa usually cultivated as an ornamental plant.
By the way, For those that are waiting for this, I will try to publish
(or at least submit) my paper on cultivated species of Xanthosoma next year,
after completing a few molecular/chromosomal experiments to check the
complex "atrovirens" (that includes regular X. atrovirens, X. atrovirens
"Albo-marginatum", X. atrovirens var. panduriforme, X. appendiculatum and
Xanthosoma "Lime Zinger").

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