[Aroid-l] Two species of Zamioculcas?

From: Steve at ExoticRainforest.com (ExoticRainforest) on 2007.10.11 at 15:46:01(16454) According to TROPICOS there are four species. I can't find a lot of information on anything other than Zamioculcas zamiifolia. Steve Lucas +More www.ExoticRainforest.com ----- Original Message ----- From: Adam Black To: Discussion of aroids Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 11:49 PM Subject: [Aroid-l] Two species of Zamioculcas? There are two forms of Zamioculcas floating around - the now ubiquitous form labeled as Z. zamiifolia or "ZZ plant" and another type that seemed to pop up from time to time before the mass-produced form apparently drowned it out in the marketplace. I was wondering if anyone has looked into whether the less common version is possibly a seperate species, regional variant, or what? I have both forms in my office, so I end up staring at them when on the phone, day dreaming, etc and notice the many differences between them. Both plants are about the same size, potted in the same mix, and receive the same amount of light and water (they are kept right next to each other). Here are the differences I have noticed in my plants: The uncommon type has half the amount of leaflets than the common form, and they are spaced much further apart (the common type has leaflets so close together they appear to overlap). The leaflets on the uncommon form are also twice as long and noticably oblanceolate (broadest point towards the tip), while the common form is shorter and more elliptical (broadest in the middle). The margin is also slightly wavy in the uncommon form. The geniculum is also positioned lower on the uncommon form, while the common form has a geniculum much closer to the lower set of leaflets. The shape of petiole between the geniculum and the soil line also is noticably different. In the common form the petiole thickens below the geniculum to its widest point but then abruptly tapers back down just above the soil line. In the uncommon form the petiole broadens below the geniculum very gradually to a point just above the soil line, at which point it then abruptly broadens even more to its widest point at the soil line (almost like a pony-tail palm - Beaucarnea/Nolinia sp). I have not had either of them flower yet so I haven't compared their inflorescensces. Any ideas? Can anybody else growing the two forms confirm my observations with their plants? Thanks! Adam Black _______________________________________________ Aroid-L mailing list Aroid-L at www.gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/private/aroid-l/attachments/20071011/bf6e12aa/attachment.htm

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