Commelinaceae
piaba (Mon, 13 Feb 2006 09:01:45 PST)

hello alberto and all,

Hi Tsuh:

just a short clarification, my first name is tsuh yang
(i just don't use a hyphen). thanks... :-)

As you said, this is not a geophyte nor
is Weldenia or Commelina
dianthifolia. Dichorisandra is a subtropical plant
that grwos wild in the
forest edges of NE Argentina, Paraguay and S.
Brazil. Common crops in the
region include manihot, sugarcane, babanas and tea.
It can stand strong full
sun and it flowers for almost nine months is a
really hot north facing spot.
It is undemanding under such conditions and becomes
a well branching "shrub"
up to 3 metres tall. Despite being of subtropical
origin it can stand
drought well although this is not of course, the
best for it

i have seen D. growing in the forest when travelling
in southern brazil. but i have only seen it in bloom
at the botanical garden here in NYC (brooklyn, that
is). in the NYBG (in the bronx), they grow the
exquisite Cochliostemma, which i already mentioned,
that has beautiful flowers and looks like a bromelia.
i believe they are fragrant too.

older houseplants books mentioned another D. with more
silver-veining in the leaves, i think it was D.
reginae. is that name still vallid, i wonder?

=========
tsuh yang

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