[Aroid-l] tall Alocasia 'Calidora' with a "pseudotrunk"

From: botanist at malesiana.com (Peter Boyce) on 2008.06.25 at 21:19:16(17966) A couple of small additions. Why is this structure being called a pseudotrunk (derivided from pseudostem); this is a true stem (or 'trunk'). The 'pseudo' implies that the aerial 'stem' is formed from closely clasping petiole bases and that the growth point (meristem) is buried away at ground or below ground level (as in Dracunculus, Helicodicerous, many Arisaema, etc.) that is not what happens when Alocasia and Xanthosoma begin to produce erect stems long enough to become leaf-less. Another snippet is that there is a new Alocasia from SW Thailand which produces an erect and never decumbent trunk to 2 or more metres, very slim, almost leafless except for a terminal tuft of 1 m petioles with lamina ca. 2 x 1 m Pete +More ----- Original Message ----- From: "Eric Schmidt" To: "Discussion of aroids" Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 9:06 PM Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] tall Alocasia 'Calidora' with a "pseudotrunk" > Thats interesting! I know sometimes Xanthosoma > sagitiifolium starts to grow upright and usually falls > over. Alocasia 'Calidora' is probably the strongest > one we have grown and the one in the photo is the > tallest any of got. Alocasia 'Portora' grows up but > either falls over or declines, and the top dies off. > Same with Alocasia portei. Now I know why they > decline! > > Eric > Orlando,FL > > > > --- ju-bo at msn.com wrote: > >> >> >> >> ---------------------------------------- >> > Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:30:29 -0700 >> > From: leu242 at yahoo.com >> > To: aroid-l at gizmoworks.com >> > Subject: [Aroid-l] tall Alocasia 'Calidora' with a >> "pseudotrunk" >> >> Dear Eric, >> >> Yes, some Alocasias do grow tall. I THINK that on >> this list, and only just recently, Pete Boyce was >> describing how, in the wild, the falling leaves keep >> up with the vertical growth of an Alocasia >> rhizome/''trunk'', and that many Alocasias >> eventually die when potted because the grow too tall >> and there is no humus being deposited around the >> rhizomes for them to send new roots into. I THINK >> he also said that many species sort of ''fall over'' >> naturally and grow horizontally along the ground. >> He said to try growing them in a pot about 1/2 full >> of medium, and adding old leaves around their >> rhizomes as they became taller. >> We find the same thing/problem with Neotropical >> Xanthosoma sps., the equiv. to the Asian Alocasias. >> >> Good Growing, >> >> Julius >> >> >> > I knew the tubers on some Alocasia would grow >> above >> > ground and form a "pseudotrunk" but didn't know >> they >> > could get this big. This is Alocasia 'Calidora' >> and it >> > is about 7ft tall with about 5ft of "trunk" >> > >> > http://tinyurl.com/4roegn >> > >> > >> > Eric >> > Orlando,FL z9b/10a >> > >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Aroid-L mailing list >> > Aroid-L at www.gizmoworks.com >> > http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l >> _______________________________________________ >> Aroid-L mailing list >> Aroid-L at www.gizmoworks.com >> http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l >> > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Aroid-L mailing list > Aroid-L at www.gizmoworks.com > http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l >

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