Re: [aroid-l] Xanthosoma "roseum"

From: "Julius Boos" ju-bo at msn.com> on 2003.01.30 at 00:18:37(9903) Dear Friends, Just a word and a quick note which I feel sure Eduardo will confirm re: the cultivated Xanthosomas---CONFUSION. At the moment here in S. Florida there are several Xanthosoma vars. being sold as food CHEAP and by the lb. at Winn Dixie, Publix, and other food stores. There is the 'white' Xanthosoma grown in Miami, dear to us Trinidadians heart because of its special texture when cooked. Then there is another labled as coming from Costa Rica that had brownish 'scales' covering the growing tip that has a SLIGHT lilac 'tint' at the base of the scales. Then there is the 'red co co' sold mainly in Jamaican stores at a substantially higher price. Then there is the rarer yellow-fleshed one sold in Hispanic stores, said to be a 'special' one used seasonally. In an attempt to TRY to clear up some of the confusion surrounding these plants, I am starting to buy and cultivate the different ones, my hope is to grow them to flowering and photograph the blooms, tubers, etc. to assist Eduardo in his research on this problematic group. There are also number of Colocasia var. tubers sold in some stores, the eddoes, and many (at least three) vars. of dasheen or taro. Meanwhile I suggest that we all ignore all these older publications like the one quoted by our Susan (below) which vary a LOT in what they say, and all or most freely admit that they know not what they say, adding to the confusion! All the ones I mention above make BEAUTIFUL plants, so just grow and enjoy until someone like Eduardo can put names to this mish-mash of plants grown as food! Susan, there is a LOT of interest in these plants! Note that the Mayan word for Xanthosoma is written as 'tiquisque', but I have also seen it written and also pronounced 'qi-ques-qe', so even this is not stable. Good Growing! Julius +More >>Eduardo, Thank you for that information. I appologize if no one is interested in this subject, but I appreciate the help given. Brian, Here is a photo of X. sagittifolia and others that may be synonomous: Xanthosoma sagittifolia: http://www.cannaluver.com/XanthasomaSagitifolia.html?1014623972990 Xanthosoma robustum: http://digitalis.mobot.org/mrsid/bin/mosid/mosid.pl?client1&image=MOA-091 23_ 001.sid&title=Xanthosoma+robustum&desc=Leaves+and+inflorescence.&tropicos_id 104679&ssdp354543&vtCROAT+ 63262 Xanthosoma robustum. To me, the leaves look too collected to be the plant in the black and white photo of X. roseum, but this is a younger plant? A leaf photo: http://digitalis.mobot.org/mrsid/bin/mosid/mosid.pl?client1&image=MOA-091 01_ 001.sid&title=Xanthosoma+robustum&desc=Leaf&tropicos_id104679&ssdp 1023 21&vtCROAT+78822 Xanthosoma roseum is refered to on one site (though it doesn't obviously say which source this information comes from) as 'rosey malanga' and 'elephant ear'. Xanthosoma sagittifolium in various cultivated edible forms is refered to as 'tiquisque blanco and tiquisque colorado'....in Costa Rica. Eduardo, you mention that the true form of X. sattifolium it is also refered to as 'malanga-blanca'. I'm not sure what all this means but M. H. Grayum says this in his description of Xanthosoma (You'll have to scroll down to Xanthosoma where he describes X. dealbatum; X. robustum; X. sagittifolium) site follows: "Xanthosoma robustum is characterized by its erect, aerial stems, glaucous foliage, naked posterior leaf ribs, and uniformly greenish inner spathe tube surface. The infls. are the largest of any CR Xanthosoma sp. This sp. is most similar to X. undipes (with non-glaucous foliage and usually red spathe tubes) and X. sagittifolium (acaulescent and usually with winged posterior ribs). Indeed, the plants treated here as X. robustum may prove to represent merely robust individuals of X. sagittifolium." http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/treat/pistia.html X robustum and X. sagittifolium may end up being the same plant, but how about X. roseum because he also says: "Because the taxonomy and nomenclature of the cult. Xanthosoma are in such chaos, a single, variable sp. is here recognized, and the oldest available name is applied. Various cultivars are represented in CR, e.g., tiquisque blanco and tiquisque colorado. Some names may prove to be incorrecly synonymized here, such as Xanthosoma roseum, typified by a Costa Rican collection". So I guess it's X. sagittifolium that really I'm looking for? Wasn't the black and white photo taken in Costa Rica? I'd like to know more about the text book that included that photo if anyone knows. Brian, if you find one of these before I do, I'm available to sell to. Thanks Eduardo, Michael, and Brian, Susan Cox 1/27/03 3:25:56 PM, "brian williams" wrote: > >Eduardo can you show a pic of a true Xanthosoma Sagittifolia? I would like >to see if I have one or what to be looking for. THANKS > >_________________________________________________________________ >Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8. >http://join.msn.com/?pageþatures/junkmail > > >

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