[aroid-l] Titan at Disney

From: Eric Schmidt <leu242 at yahoo.com> on 2004.07.13 at 14:35:50(11749) Here are 2 seperate reports released by Disney Horticulture about the A. titanum that is getting ready to flower. There were pictures but I don't think I can send them as an attachment t this list. July 8, 2004 37? tall July 9, 2004 42" tall This is our first installment of our daily Titan update. For those receiving this who haven?t heard yet, Walt Disney World Horticulture is proud to present its first blooming of the Amorphophallus titanum, the Titan Arum. This will be only the 26th blooming of this species ever in the US. The Titan is now on stage at Bradley Falls in Disney?s Animal Kingdom. Our first measurements were taken yesterday when the bud was 37? tall. Today it?s 42? tall. That?s right, it grew 5 inches since yesterday. Based on data of growth patterns of Titan bloomings elsewhere, we estimate the opening of the flower to occur somewhere between July 17th and 19th. There are many factors that affect the timing so this is purely an estimate. It could be a little before or after this range. As the daily growth rate begins to slow we will know we?re getting close. When the growth rate stops, it should open the next day or so. This plant was repotted 2 months ago and the tuber weighed 40 lbs. Previous Titans of similar size have produce an inflorescence around 5 feet tall. The largest tuber in the Walt Disney World collection weighed 90 pounds when repotted this year. The 90 pounder has yet to reveal if it will flower this year or not. It is producing an unusual bract around its new growth that the plant that?s flowering produced (see below) so we are hopeful. I think we?ll know by Monday. +More July 12 53" tall The Titan had a great weekend growing 11 inches since Friday!! Some of the sheaths are beginning to dry up and will fall off in the next day or two. The growth is continuing on a steady pace and hasn?t shown signs of slowing yet. Soon, the daily growth rate will begin to taper off and, once it stops, we will know it is only a day or two until flowering. On Friday I spoke with Craig Allen, the former conservatory manager of Fairchild Gardens and person responsible for the donation of these plants to Disney. Craig is a respected authority on growing Titans in Florida. He has confirmed that on average, the flower will open up roughly 15 days from when the spadix pokes through the bracts. Quick botany lesson--the spadix is the tall spire-like structure that grows the tallest. Not to be confused with the spathe, which is currently the frilly portion wrapped tightly around the spadix. On ?opening day? the spathe will unfurl, revealing its maroon interior. Anyway, the spadix emerged last weekend. Although we are not certain the exact day, as it was a holiday weekend, our best estimate is that is pushed through on Saturday or Sunday the 4th. This would give us an anticipated opening date of July 18th or 19th. Keep in mind this is just an estimate, but the monitoring of the growth rate will give as a better measure as we get closer. I just found out this morning that the Stephan F. Austin State University Mast Arboretum in Texas is about to be home to the first Titan Arum bloom in Texas. They have named their plant ?Jack.? Jack is about a week ahead of ours, so I left a message with their director this morning hoping to attain some of Jack?s pollen. They are receiving pollen from the plant at the University of Connecticut, which just finished blooming. (http://www.news.uconn.edu/2004/jun2004/rel04065.htm) DID YOU KNOW: When the flower opens, the tip of the spadix heats up. This helps give the heavy, sulfur-based odors the kinetic energy needed to go air-born and travel long distances to attract pollinators. The spadix will heat up to the temperature of a human being. Check out the thermal images from the University of Wisconsin (http://www.news.wisc.edu/titanarum/facts.html). __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/maildemo

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