Spathanteum
Johannes Ulrich Urban (Wed, 24 Aug 2016 12:38:58 PDT)

Dear All

Spathantheum orbynyanum will flower before the leaves emerge, what looks
like a thin leaf on a long stalk is in fact the flower, just look on the
underside of the "leaf" and you will notice, or maybe take a sniff of
the scent.... smile. Spathantheum means: flowering spathe. This same
misunderstanding has happened several times when I gave tubers to friends.

The flowers do not at all look like Amorphophallus or Typhonium. Some
time after flowering the leaves will appear, the leaves roughly look
like Acanthus mollis leaves.

I donated these tubers in late spring and they were a bit overstored.
That may explain why they only flower now which is late indeed. The
plant produces masses of offsets and it was the first time this year I
sent them to the BX. They like full sun and a lot of water and
fertilizer when in full growth. I hope your plants make a full growing
cycle before winter sets in. They are strictly summer growing with me.

Unfortunately I do not have pictures of the flowers. My plant is in full
leaf now. In the past the growing tubers have made the pot burst several
times. It is an odd but unusual and very easy plant from Bolivia.

Have fun with it!

Uli