Re: For dracontium nuts

From: "Julius Boos" ju-bo at msn.com> on 2002.04.05 at 01:15:40(8470) OK---here we go---First off, as Wilbert suggested and Susan confirmed, the photo is of D gigas, one of the two giant species of Dracontium found only in Cen. America (the other is D. pittieri, more on that later). I have a photo of a small-looking Caucasian man standing at the side of a plant of D. gigas in bloom, the top of the spathe is at his mouth-level, so say close to 5 ft. tall?! The petiole (only the base is visible) must be at least 12+ ft tall, and is as thick as his forarm! D. pittieri`s photo shows an infloresence held by two latin-looking men, the top of the spathe is at least 9 ft. tall. The leaf is reported to be as big/tall as D. gigas, the difference is that D. gigas has an inflorescence shorter than the petiole, while D. pittieri has an inflorescence as tall as the petiole, and the spathe is more boat-shaped/pointed. We auctioned plants of D. gigas last Sept. at the IAS show in Miami!! They are sometimes available from 'nuts' on this list. WONDERFUL genus, all 23 or so of them!! The other 'odd-ball' S. American genera such as Taccarum, Synandrospadix, Gorgonidium, etc. are also wonderfully strange aroids!! My buddy Bobby`s FANTASTIC Taccarums, the largest I have seen or heard of in cultivation, are just coming up, the short, paper-like blooms with a tall, 'shaggy' spadix will soon follow, and with luck seed will be available in fall!! Julius +More >>Can someone please estimate the size of that Dracontium pitteri flower? In the photo it looks greater than 18" - ie huge - but that may just be the camera perspective. And if it is that big, where can I get one &/or at least read more about that species? John "Cooper, Susan L." wrote: > > Someone just emailed me a link to this photo > http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/courses/tour/Dracontium.html#anchor1295162 > check out those glorious petioles! > > susan

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