Dracunculus vulgaris
Paul T. (Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:57:23 PDT)
In Crete there are populations with white / cream/ yellow
spathes that are very lovely, but still stinky.
Under prime conditions it can reach to 7 ft in height. I
suppose with a proportionately large , proportionally stinky flower.
And finally there are some variants with well marked silvery
'chevrons' on the leaflets and others with plain green leaves.
Jim et al,
And don't forget the related Dracunculus canariensis. It is a much
more slender flower in white, without the markings etc on the leaves
but still with a similar leaf shape (although the leaves are also
more slender). I saw it in person a few years ago and loved it. I
think my plant is finally to flowering size, so hopefully I can share
pics of it later this year. It has now started offsetting a bit too,
which is nice, as for a couple of years it was only a single plant
and I was a bit paranoid about losing it. I don't know whether it
has the same smell or not, as I wasn't there when my friend's one
opened a few years ago. It didn't smell when I saw it, but that
doesn't mean it wasn't pongy before that.
Worst smell I've come across so far from the aroids I have grown is
actually Typhonium brownii. Best described as a dead possum, much
worse than the Arum diosoridis and Dracunculus.... in my climate at
least. <grin> I'd love to see a pure white Drac vulgaris though, as
it would be so different to that mahogany mammoth that we're used to.
Cheers.
Paul T.
Canberra, Australia - USDA Zone Equivalent approx. 8/9
Growing an eclectic collection of plants from all over the world
including Aroids, Crocus, Cyclamen, Erythroniums, Fritillarias,
Galanthus, Irises, Trilliums (to name but a few) and just about
anything else that doesn't move!!