Re: Florida Arisaema.

From: "George R Stilwell, Jr." grsjr at juno.com> on 2001.03.06 at 17:16:52(6017) Julius, A. dracontium is distinguishable by its single compound leaf with 7-12 leaflets, its small green sheathing, and its long-caudate spadix appendix. +More A. triphyllum is 3 foliate. There are several ssp. which vary greatly in size and other characteristics. However, A. triphyllum ssp quinatum (Buckley) Hutt., which has a very restricted range in the deep south and is found only in Georgia, northern Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, is penta-foliate. It grows in moist, shaded situations. It tends to be smaller than the other subspecies and its leaves are usually glaucous beneath and penta-foliate though they are sometimes tri-foliate or lack gaucescense. The spathe tube is smooth and topped by broad, flaring, but not depressed flanges. The spathe blade is unmarked green and oval or orbicular with an abruptly apiculate tip. The cylindrical spadix appendix is very slender and curved toward the opening of the spathe. Its chromosome number is 28. Yours sound too big to be ssp. quinatum but it's the only American species that is penta-foliate so it is easy to spot. If you can handle WordPerfect files, I can send you Huttleston's KEY to A. triphyllum which also comments on the other two North American species. Ray GRSJr@Juno.com ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

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