ExoticRainforest wrote:
Thisone is going to be long guys and gals so please stay with me!. Since many of you are growing this plant you may find this interesting.
I am seeking the assistance of any and all the botanists and/or expertson this forum since I've uncovered an apparent new mystery and can'tseem to reach a resolution.
Although at least one plant seller on the internet advertises "Straightfrom the Rainforest to Your Home" while offering Alocasia Amazonica forsale this plant has never existed naturally in any rain forests of theworld. It is very well known this plant is a hybrid but the actualparentage has been debated. Alocasia Amazonica is likely a hybrid of Alocasiawatsoniana x Alocasia sanderiana but other crossesincluding Alocasia watsoniana x Alocasia nobilishave produced similar results. Other sources have stated otherparentage is involved so I'm not sure what the real parentage may havebeen, I only know it did not come from nature.
The plant issometimes known by the common names African Mask, Green Velvet, JewelAlocasia, Alocasia Polly, or Alocasia Alligator and commercial growershave sold it as Alocasia Frydek and as Alocasia Maxkowskii.
Botanical gardens rarely list hybrid plants on their website but if youdo an internet search you will find the National Botanic Garden of Belgium plus some "official" sources including the University of Connecticut and the USDA list the plant asAlocasia x Amazonica André. Unless I've got my facts totally wrong "André" refers tobotanist André Michauxwho lived from 1746 to 1802.
Since Alocasia Amazonica is not a species and at least theplantweknow by the name Alocasia Amazonica today wasn't even hybridized untilthe 1930's are they talking about the same plant? How could it be thesame hybrid if botanist AndréMichaux wrote about it before his death in 1802?
Now, for some background for those on the forum that don't normally diginto this kind of "plant mystery":
Alocasia Amazonica is not a species and has never been described toscience It does not grow naturally in any native rain forest,is notfrom the Amazon. The name should never be used in either theitalicized form or with single quotations since it is neither apublished species nor a registered cultivar. With the help of JohnBanta our friend author and expert Julius Boos was able to trace thehybrid to a nursery owner who during the 1930's and 1940's owned a nowdefunct nursery in the Miami. The nursery was known as the "AmazonNursery" and the grower is said to have named Alocasia Amazonica afterhis own business. The name has since been used by growers for over 70years.
Just in case you are confused, Alocasia species are allnaturally found in the geographical region composed of Southeast Asiaand neighboring island nations of the Pacific Ocean including thePhilippines. No Alocasia species has ever been found naturallyin Central or South America including the Amazon basin although specieshave been imported as well as set free and now thrive in the area.
Just in case one of our members believes Alocasia Amazonica is aspecies here are three scientific data bases. You won't find AlocasiaAmazonica on any.
The Royal Botanic Garden Kew, London: http://www.ipni.org/index.htmlThe Missouri Botanical Garden: http://www.tropicos.org/WorldChecklist of Selected Plant Families: http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/qsearch.do
Still, it is listed on the National Botanic Garden of Belgium website: http://www.br.fgov.be/RESEARCH/COLLECTIONS/LIVING/LIVCOL/list/l_113.html
and credited to André. Some experts believe the plant did notoriginate in Miami and likely was originally bred in Belgium, France orEngland since it is mentioned in Burnetts 'Cultivated Alocasia'. Idon't have access to that publication so I can't check out thesources. If it was hybridized in Europe, who did it? When? Was AndréMichaux involved? Did he write about it? If so, where are his papersand more importantly, is it the same plant we grow?
Are we talking about the same hybrid or was there a plant hybridizedbefore 1800 in England, France or Belgium that also used the nameAlocasia x Amazonica which was copied by the grower in Miami?
I can normally figure these "mysteries" out with the help of Julius,Leland, Tom and Pete as well as some of our other esteemed botanistsbut this one has me stumped. Josef, David, Wilbert and Simon, sinceyou are in Europe do you know anything about this? I'd really like tounderstand where the name originated and if we are talking about thesame plant that is commonly tissue cultured and grown today.
Thanks!
Steve
www.ExoticRainforest.com
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