From: Bob Riffle <71270.3070 at compuserve.com> on 1998.08.14 at 03:16:03(2531)
Dr. Hay, is "Alocasia robusta" synonymous with "Alocasia odora var.
robusta"? The leaves in the Attenborough film are not 15 feet long
but they are bigger than any A. macrorrhiza or A. odora that I've
ever seen, so that I don't doubt you and suspect D.A. to have been
amongst juvenile A. robusta plants .
As for the palm leaves, yes, Raphia regalis has the biggest leaves
of any land plant (I believe the Pac coast giant kelp leaves--
aquatics--are longer: up to 100 feet or more), but Raphia leaves
are clearly divided from the time of their emergence from the
trunk; they only lack "unfurling." There are a few pinnate-leaved
palms whose segments never separate after emerging--Pelagodoxa and
Phoenicophorium are the prime examples of these genera and have the
biggest undividedleaves, while species of Chamaedorea represent the
smaller undivided pinnate leaves.
The bananas, YES! I've never seen the ones with the biggest leaves
(not even photos), but it would be my somewhat educated guess that
they qualify for the biggest *undivided* leaves of any land plant.
Any suggestions for books/URLs that might contain these photos?
Long live monocots!
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