RE: Contractile roots

From: Wilbert Hetterscheid <hetter at vkc.nl> on 1997.09.08 at 16:03:22(1187) Don Bittel's answer to Mike Bordelon's question has one flaw. Amorphophallus DO have contractile roots. Just have a look at older roots at the top of the tuber when you take one out. It is especially noticeable on larger plants. The "drop in the hole" idea will certainly be true but without the contractile roots, the whole structure would tumble to its side for lack of anchorage. Wilbert +More > ---------- > From: Don Bittel[SMTP:dbittel@treco.net] > Reply To: aroid-l@mobot.org > Sent: maandag 8 september 1997 15:11 > To: hetter@vkc.nl > Subject: Re: Contractile roots > > Mike, > My theory is that Amorphophallus do not have contractile roots. > Instead, > the rotting away of the old tuber allows the new tuber to 'fall' into > the > hole that is left, thus lowering the tuber deeper each time. This > allows it > to stabilize itself better as it grows larger and larger. I have > noticed > this on all of my species when I used to dig them up every winter. > They got > so deep that now I just leave them in the ground. In this part of > Florida > we rarely get a hard freeze anyway. There must be some stopping point > to > this, however, or it could eventually sink down to the water table and > rot > away! I would be happy to hear from Wilbert or anyone else on this > subject > also. > > ---------- > > From: Mike Bordelon > > To: dbittel@treco.net > > Subject: Contractile roots > > Date: Wednesday, September 03, 1997 7:30 PM > > > > Hello everybody, > > A recent discussion on AEG about contractile roots on > > Arisaemas prompted this question. I dug Amorphophallus > > muelleri from a bed yesterday and they appeared to be at the > > same depth of planting. I know they have roots that emerge > > from the top to stabilize the plant, but do Amorphophallus > > also have contractile roots to pull them further into the soil ? > > > > Mike Bordelon > > >

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