Re: Making bulbils?

From: "Randall M. Story" story at caltech.edu> on 2002.06.05 at 18:44:18(8960) Hi Brian, Thanks for your response. I guess my question is in some sense whether bulbils are essentially masses of generic "tuber tissue" that form on leaves. If so, then they could simply grow by "reprogramming" leaf tissue to form "tuber tissue" so as to form what is more or less a tumor on the leaf. Some pictures I have seen of bulbils seem to look like this, superficially at least. Then if such a "tumor" is planted, it might develop the complete range of cells necessary for growth. Such a simple switch in cell type is easy to imagine developmentally, much more simple than somehow creating a "real" tuber (presumably with a range of specialized cells) on the leaf. Just speculation on my part... Or maybe cells that will eventually form bulbils have already specialized by the time other leaf cells have specialized??? Are there any guesses as to whether the common ancestor to Amorphophallus had a bulbil making ability that was lost in most of the other guys, or whether it was an "invention" in only a few species? (molecular phylogeneticists in the audience??). If it was lost in the majority of species, they may still have some sort of latent ability to do this, even if it is some sort of specialized structure instead of just some tumor-like mass of cells. +More Randy ---------- >From: "brian williams" >To: Multiple recipients of list AROID-L >Subject: Re: Making bulbils? >Date: Tue, Jun 4, 2002, 11:04 PM > > > > I have chopped a few bulb up and placed in a humid place and have had bulbs > form from each chunk of bulb. I have also had a few forms that don't usually > set off bulb that I have cut not all the way but cut a mark into and placed > fungicide. This mark or scare I have found will make some species split in > two. I have not made any true experiments up just me messing trying new > things. > > > Has anyone else tried anything like this? > > Just to add in on this message. I have been growing for a few years and have > found that their are manly two ways for me to grow Amorphophallus well here > in Kentucky. I have one bed made in the greenhouse with normal river bottom > dirt. Kinda like the stuff used in a garden the normal brown farm dirt. All > the amorphos and Dracontiums love that. > But for pots. I find I use metro mix 360 with a common mix of powdered > spaghnum moss and perlite. Half a bag of metro mix to every bag of the > spaghnum moss. This works very well on the amorphos as well as Philo > cuttings. > > I have seen some florida friends growing them in just about everything from > mulch to pine nuggets. But after all the experiments here. This works best. > A have not had a rot problem sense. THANKS Hope this info helps a few out. > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. > >

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