by Wilbert Hetterscheid

The genus Taccarum, distinguished member of the tribe Spathicarpeae, has taxonomically been revised by Eduardo Goncalves. I am sure we get to see the final word on this in print soon....... The species list on this page is based on a peek into Eduardo's data by me (with permission, of course). This wonderful tuberous genus needs to be more fully introduced into cultivation as it will be an asset to all those who go for the unusual.

There has been quite some confusion as to the proper names of plants in cultivation going by the name Taccarum weddellianum. Eduardo feels that many of those are in fact T. caudatum, a species with an almost similar morphology but showing a few delicate differences with T. weddellianum. Most important is the degree of fusion of the rod-like staminodes surrounding the pistils in the female flowers. In T. weddelianum all these staminodes are free over their entire length in most of the female flowers, whereas in T. caudatum at least 50% of the flowers have the staminodes laterally fused to different degrees with neighbouring staminodes. The fusion may sometimes be so complete as to form a cylinder around the pistil. The pictures of T. weddellianum in Croat, 1985 (see below) do represent the true species. So, check your plants when they flower and give them the correct label!!!

Relevant recent literature on this genus is:

Bogner, J., 1989. A preliminary survey of Taccarum (Araceae) including a new species from Bolivia. Willdenowia 19: 191 - 198.

Croat, T., 1985. Aroid Profile No. 10. Taccarum weddellianum. Aroideana 8(3): 94 - 97.

Goncalves, E.G., 2002. New Aroid taxa from Brazil. Aroideana 25: 16 - 35 (T. crassispathum).

Endera conophalloidea Regel = T. peregrinum

Lysistigma peregrinum Schott = T. peregrinum

Taccarum caudatum Rusby

Taccarum cardenasianum Bogner (to be transferred to Gorgonidium by Goncalves)

Taccarum crassispathum Gonc.

Taccarum cylindricum Arcang. = T. peregrinum

Taccarum dubium Bertoni = T. peregrinum

Taccarum hasslerianum Chodat = T. weddellianum

Taccarum josephinae Bertoni = T. peregrinum

Taccarum peregrinum (Schott) Engl.

Taccarum ulei Engl. & K. Krause

Taccarum variabile Bertoni = T. peregrinum

Taccarum warmingii Engl.

Taccarum weddellianum Brongn. ex Schott

Aroideana has 12 articles on Taccarum. Click Here to see them all.

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