Aquatic (&/or edible) geophytes

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Sat, 28 Jan 2006 14:23:32 PST
Dear Lee,

We saw Aponogeton in South Africa. It is interesting to read that you got 
it to grow in a freshwater aquarium. I was fascinated by it. It is 
apparently both edible and aquatic. If you have pictures of it and want to 
add them, I'd have no objection.

As you know, this wiki administrator is more inclusive than exclusive. If 
someone can make a case for our including a plant in the wiki because it is 
a bulb, corm, rhizome, tuber, has tuberous roots when it is growing, etc., 
we'd allow it. We have a number of things on the wiki that some people 
probably wish weren't there because they are a bit of a stretch, but it 
seems to me as long as this is included in the text, it really doesn't hurt 
and could be providing information to people who might be interested. There 
are genera that were once considered to be in the Liliaceae family and may 
have since been moved to something else that come to mind. Plants like 
Maianthemum and Disporum. Some of them die back to their rootstocks and are 
dormant part of the year. But do their rootstocks qualify? Maybe not, but 
it someone wanted to add them, I wouldn't object. I think some people might 
think they'd be better classified as perennials, but would it hurt to have 
them on the wiki? I don't think so.

We already have a few plants pictured on the wiki that are sometimes 
aquatic when in growth.

I often look at my Marantha (Prayer Plant) and wonder if it could be 
included. I've  read somewhere it was tuberous, but I've never unpotted it 
to look. I've had this plant for a very long time in one of my bathrooms 
and usually I cut it all the way back in winter and then it shoots out 
again which it is doing now and then it flowers in spring. I'm not even 
sure what species it is since it was gift.

What ends on up the wiki is probably most a function of what appeals to the 
people who add to it.

Mary Sue


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