Re: Large leaved colocasias/alocasias/xanthosomas

From: eduardo gomes goncalves <eggon at guarany.cpd.unb.br> on 1997.07.02 at 20:53:12(909) On Wed, 2 Jul 1997, Clarence Hester wrote: > Steve- > > If the leaves on the plants at the Tulsa Parks department are sagittate > and *very* > large, it sounds more like Xanthosoma violacea than Colocasia > fontanesii. Some distinguishing differences are that Colocasia > fontanesii spreads by runners, in my experince usually eminating in four > symmetrical directions. Xanthosoma violacea puts off "babies" closely > congregated around the main trunk. The inflorescence > of Colocasia f. is orange in color, and gives off an intermiitent > fragrance that smells like baked yams. It flowers very frequently, even > here in N.C. The flower on Xanthosoma violacea I have not seen, but I > think it would be white or off-white. The large green Xanthosoma, > identical to Xan. violacea except for the stem color, has a huge white > bloom that is night-fragrant and smells like violets (in my olfactory > opinion). Finally, the leaves of Xanthosoma get *much* larger, for > example , than the leaves of Colocasia esculenta, while the leaves of > Colocasia fontanesii are a grade or two smaller than Colocasia > esculenta, in my experience. (As an aside, Colocasia f. can be grown > aqautically; I don't think this would be possible with Xanthosoma). > > (...) +More > > I hope this helps. > > Clarence Hester > Dear Clarence, The inflorescence of Xanthosoma violaceum quite pretty. The spathe tube is purple outside and white with a pinkish base inside. The spathe lamina is greenish-yellow outside and white inside. The spadix is also coloured: The fertile male flowers are cream, the staminoidal zone is pink and the female zone is strongly yellow! You have to see to believe it! And about the smell... well it smells like a Xanthosoma inflorescence!!! (At least it don't smell like baked yams) This Xanthosoma seems to survive aquatically. I had one in my fish tank when I was a little boy. The plant could produce new leaves but smaller than it usually does. I hope it helps, Eduardo.

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