Arisaema TOW

Robert Hamilton roberth6@mac.com
Wed, 20 Aug 2003 04:06:26 PDT
Hi Jane and  others,

> So I guess it is just an ugly A. flavum from western Asia. Oh well.

I sounds like a very desirable form of Arisaema flavum to me!!

Yes I  am  very fond of this  genus and  Alberto  mentioned one  of  
the traits  which  I really like with this  genus. That is,  seed 
germinates  so  easily  at  any time of the  year provided it is  warm 
enough. So  as an  Australian  whose  collection started  in the 
Northern Hemisphere seed exchanges it meant  getting  two  seasons of  
growth in the first  year.

Seed sown in late  summer germinates readily and  grows on often into  
winter. After a short dormancy they will  reappear in the next  spring 
(which is  is  the same calendar year for  us) although they often  
appear a little  later  and  some species notably  A sikokianum 
occasionally stays  in the  same  cycle that it  germinated , taking 
some years  to acclimatize.

As a  general  rule  when  in doubt  I  keep Arisaema species I am not  
sure about dry during winter. (but not  1st and  2nd  season seedlings 
which  get  winter rain) This  has caused some  cultural problems  . I 
put a pot containing a couple  of  A angustatum seedlings which  didnt 
appear last summer aside, intending  to  tip out and  tidy. It  sat on 
my  potting table   experiencing winter  rain and  yesterday  I 
discovered an emerging  shoot. The  lesson being that  this  species  
sulked  because of the winter  dryness.

So  many  bulb genera have  fairly  rigid  cultural  needs and  cycles  
- Arisaema  certainly  doesnt  and its  oddball habits  and  appearance 
  endear it  to  me.

Cheers,

Rob in Tasmania



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