Re: Philo. "xanadu"

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at email.msn.com> on 1998.11.17 at 00:37:23(2752) >>Neil, Philodendron 'Xanadu' is a hybrid one of whose parents is P. bipinnatifidu,/selloum ---- don't know the other parent. Robert Lee Riffle, author of THE TROPICAL LOOK<< +More Dear Robert, Any idea where this story originated? This is one of the stories that I have heard before, and it may yet prove to be true, BUT!!! P. bipinnatifidum is a "giant" species,with huge (18"+) infloresences that are green and "closed" along the spathe`s opening . Buy shere luck I saw and collected the first infloresences I have seen of P. "xanadu" just days before the Aroid show in Miami two weeks ago, and they were born at the apex of the seemingly old plant (4' ? tall), and were three in number. We subsequently found another plant in Miami in bloom, this time with two infloresences, also at the plant`s apex. The spathes are a shiny bright dark purple, about 5" long (as in P. selloum/bipinnatifidium, this aprox. measurement excludes the peduncle/flower stem), and the rounded tip of the spadix "peeps" out of the spathe near its tip which is tightly closed around it. I really can not see any relationship/ resemblance between P. "xanadu" and P. selloum, and question P. selloum being a parent . Dr Birdsey mentioned that he thought that P. "xanadu" might be a "sport" of P. pinnatifidium, but not being a Philo. freak, and not being familiar with this species, I have no opinion as to this thought. The good news in all this is that Dr. Croat has the infloresences at MOBOT, and will be comparing them to other Philo. sps., so may come up with an answer for us all. Cheers, Julius ju-bo@msn.com

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