From: hermine <hermine at endangeredspecies.com> on 2009.08.15 at 05:33:59(19723)
As far as I can learn, and Julius and I have talked about this a greatdeal, the species was described from tissue cultured specimens. That is unusual in botany but there was a great deal of info that leadJulius with Tom and Simon Mayo's help to believe the plant wasunique. You can read about that in two different articles by Juliusfound in Aroideana.
I believe the variations you appear to be describing are primarily aresult of tissue culture.
One note. Leland Miyanobelieves, and I think he has actually seen a plant in Brazil that is verymuch like P. xanadu but is larger. I also have a friend thatlives near Mexico City that brought back seeds from Brazil some 20 yearsago (well before tissue culture was popular) and his plants are identicalto those we see in tissue culture but stay perpetually smaller than theones Leland describes.
This I have already heard! so you can imagine confusion!
I'm sure you know that a great dealof the forest in Brazil has been devastated so many species will likelynever be found in the wild.
Yes, I am afraid i know this.....
I've been fortunate enough toreceive four plants from the collection of Roberto Burle-Marx that wereapparently wild collected but there is zero collection data.
He has been a favourite of both of us for decades!
If we can get Leland to chime in I believe he can tell you about theplants he has seen including the one that may well be the original parentof P. xanadu!
I would be very interested to see this!
-l] Aroid-LXANADU
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