I.D.`ing the plant on the stamp.

From: ju-bo at msn.com (ju-bo at msn.com) on 2008.01.22 at 11:58:42(16984) ---------------------------------------- > From: abri1973 at wp.pl > To: aroid-l at gizmoworks.com > Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:08:20 +0100 > Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] The Many Faces of Taro Dear Marek and Jason, I have re-examined the illustration of the postage stamp in question, and my opinion still is, that based on what we have in that pretty ''basic'' ilustration, the plant illustrated on that postage stamp is Colocasia esculenta var. "Piko" (with a sagittate leaf blade and the lobes open to the navel or "piko". See Deni Bown`s EXCELLENT book "Aroids, plants of the arum family", page 250 and 251.) Bear in mind the person who drew the illustration on the stamp OBVIOUSLY was not a taxonomist! However, the veins in the anterior lobe seem to be the correct number for Colocasia, not Xanthosoma or Cyrtosperma. The deciding factor in I.D.`ing the illustration to me are the corms clearly illustrated on the stamp. They resemble most closely those produced by several vars. of Colocasia esculanta, the illustration even shows the form of the ''huli'' (the section above the corms consisting of petiole bases), and are NOT Cyrtosperma merkusii (changed from the name, C. chamissonis, an old name for C. merkusii) OR Xanthosoma. I hope this helps. Jason, what a great pity that you were not able to sample eating the corms of Cyrtosperma merkusii! The word you can find on the edibility/taste of this plant in the literature are in general not very flattering, BUT---I had a friend in Asia who cultivated this plant in quantity around a pond, and he told me that in flavor and texture he prefered it to Colocasia!! I do hope that you came away with at least some good photos of Cyrtosperma plants which you can share with us?? The Best, And Good Growing! Julius Boos +More WPB, FLORIDA > Hello Jason, > > So here it's me again with this controversive stamp from Micronesia, > recently when I sent this to Aroid-L, > it was identified as Colocasia esculenta, according to the book by Deni Bown > where she wrote > that in the Oceania C. esculenta has not peltate leaves. > Now you put me in a different light explaining that the plant can be a > species of Cyrtosperma. > I haven't seen C. chamissonis, so I can't tell which of the plant is there > on the stamp. > Could you please help me, it's very important to me. > > Regards > Marek Argent > www.araceum.prv.pl > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "mossytrail" > To: > Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 6:13 AM > Subject: [Aroid-l] The Many Faces of Taro > > > >I recently visited Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. > > I saw some very large, sagittate aroids there, and asked > > what they were. "Taro," was the reply. > > > > Later, I got a fuller explanation. As my native guide and I > > walked along a roadside, we saw four species, which he > > explained to me thus: Colocasia esculenta, the > > green-petioled variety, he called "Tahitian taro;" the > > purple-petioled form, he did not know the name. Alocasia > > macrorrhizos, he called "wild taro," saying that in former > > times, it was used for food, but no longer. Xanthosoma sp., > > he called "Hawaiian taro." And Cyrtosperma chamissonis, the > > kind I had originally seen, he called simply "taro," and > > said it was the local variety. > > > > In my several days there, I found that Cyrtosperma was the > > most widely grown kind, in swampy mountain forests as well > > as villages. Green-petiole Colocasia was next. The other > > three were seldom seen. Cyrtosperma seemed to grow equally > > well in sun or shade, provided the soil was sufficiently > > muddy. > > > > Too bad I never had the opportunity to taste that local > > "taro." > > > > Jason Hernandez > > Naturalist-at-Large > > _______________________________________________ > > Aroid-L mailing list > > Aroid-L at www.gizmoworks.com > > http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l > > > > > > __________ NOD32 Informacje 2810 (20080121) __________ > > > > Wiadomosc zostala sprawdzona przez System Antywirusowy NOD32 > > http://www.nod32.com lub http://www.nod32.pl > > > >

From: abri1973 at wp.pl (Marek Argent) on 2008.01.22 at 23:40:05(16985) Thanks Julius for the ultimate explanation Marek +More ----- Original Message ----- From: To: "Discussion of aroids" Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 12:58 PM Subject: [Aroid-l] I.D.`ing the plant on the stamp. > > > > ---------------------------------------- >> From: abri1973 at wp.pl >> To: aroid-l at gizmoworks.com >> Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:08:20 +0100 >> Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] The Many Faces of Taro > > Dear Marek and Jason, > > I have re-examined the illustration of the postage stamp in question, and > my opinion still is, that based on what we have in that pretty ''basic'' > ilustration, the plant illustrated on that postage stamp is Colocasia > esculenta var. "Piko" (with a sagittate leaf blade and the lobes open to > the navel or "piko". See Deni Bown`s EXCELLENT book "Aroids, plants of > the arum family", page 250 and 251.) > Bear in mind the person who drew the illustration on the stamp OBVIOUSLY > was not a taxonomist! However, the veins in the anterior lobe seem to be > the correct number for Colocasia, not Xanthosoma or Cyrtosperma. The > deciding factor in I.D.`ing the illustration to me are the corms clearly > illustrated on the stamp. They resemble most closely those produced by > several vars. of Colocasia esculanta, the illustration even shows the form > of the ''huli'' (the section above the corms consisting of petiole bases), > and are NOT Cyrtosperma merkusii (changed from the name, C. chamissonis, > an old name for C. merkusii) OR Xanthosoma. I hope this helps. > Jason, what a great pity that you were not able to sample eating the corms > of Cyrtosperma merkusii! The word you can find on the edibility/taste of > this plant in the literature are in general not very flattering, BUT---I > had a friend in Asia who cultivated this plant in quantity around a pond, > and he told me that in flavor and texture he prefered it to Colocasia!! > I do hope that you came away with at least some good photos of Cyrtosperma > plants which you can share with us?? > > The Best, > > And Good Growing! > > Julius Boos > WPB, FLORIDA > > >> Hello Jason, >> >> So here it's me again with this controversive stamp from Micronesia, >> recently when I sent this to Aroid-L, >> it was identified as Colocasia esculenta, according to the book by Deni >> Bown >> where she wrote >> that in the Oceania C. esculenta has not peltate leaves. >> Now you put me in a different light explaining that the plant can be a >> species of Cyrtosperma. >> I haven't seen C. chamissonis, so I can't tell which of the plant is >> there >> on the stamp. >> Could you please help me, it's very important to me. >> >> Regards >> Marek Argent >> www.araceum.prv.pl >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "mossytrail" >> To: >> Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 6:13 AM >> Subject: [Aroid-l] The Many Faces of Taro >> >> >> >I recently visited Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. >> > I saw some very large, sagittate aroids there, and asked >> > what they were. "Taro," was the reply. >> > >> > Later, I got a fuller explanation. As my native guide and I >> > walked along a roadside, we saw four species, which he >> > explained to me thus: Colocasia esculenta, the >> > green-petioled variety, he called "Tahitian taro;" the >> > purple-petioled form, he did not know the name. Alocasia >> > macrorrhizos, he called "wild taro," saying that in former >> > times, it was used for food, but no longer. Xanthosoma sp., >> > he called "Hawaiian taro." And Cyrtosperma chamissonis, the >> > kind I had originally seen, he called simply "taro," and >> > said it was the local variety. >> > >> > In my several days there, I found that Cyrtosperma was the >> > most widely grown kind, in swampy mountain forests as well >> > as villages. Green-petiole Colocasia was next. The other >> > three were seldom seen. Cyrtosperma seemed to grow equally >> > well in sun or shade, provided the soil was sufficiently >> > muddy. >> > >> > Too bad I never had the opportunity to taste that local >> > "taro." >> > >> > Jason Hernandez >> > Naturalist-at-Large >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Aroid-L mailing list >> > Aroid-L at www.gizmoworks.com >> > http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l >> > >> > >> > __________ NOD32 Informacje 2810 (20080121) __________ >> > >> > Wiadomosc zostala sprawdzona przez System Antywirusowy NOD32 >> > http://www.nod32.com lub http://www.nod32.pl >> > >> > > _______________________________________________ > Aroid-L mailing list > Aroid-L at www.gizmoworks.com > http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l > > > __________ NOD32 Informacje 2814 (20080122) __________ > > Wiadomosc zostala sprawdzona przez System Antywirusowy NOD32 > http://www.nod32.com lub http://www.nod32.pl > >

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