Re: [Aroid-l] Aroid-L P. XANADU

From: ExoticRainforest <Steve at exoticrainforest.com> on 2009.08.21 at 22:34:58 Julius, you just made my day!  Yourwonderful "voice" is a true treasure on Aroid l. Steve ju-bo@msn.com wrote: Dear All, Due to my illness I am only now able to add my voice to this discussion. P. xanadu is a good species of Philodendron within the group ofMeconostigmas or self-headers.  It differs from all other species ofMeconostigmas in details of the sexual parts of its spadix, the shapeof the leaf scars on the rhizomes, shape of leaf blade, intravaginalsquamules, etc..  The color of its spathe is different to P.bipinnatifidium (we must remember that it was brought into cultivationfrom Australia with a note that it was a ''sport'' of P.bipinnatifidium), and blooms more sparingly, and seemingly in thecooler season here in Florida.   It was most probably received inAustralia as as seed ex: the nursery of Alvim Seidel in Brazil. In tissue culture it becomes very ''plastic'' in its vegetativefeatures, mainly by the leaf blades retaining juvenile features(reduced rear lobes of the leaf blade) for many years, up to 20 yearsor more, even when planted in the ground.   I have a friend in Miami who is VERY interested in this species, and hehas had access to several batches of tissue cultured ''starts''(thousands per batch!) of this species. He has chosen for hiscollection any plant which did not conform to its siblings/clones, andhas about 50+ or so of them.   What wonderful variations!   Some robustand MUCH larger than their siblings, some with darker petioles, etc.  We shall see what they look like as adult plants.  This points out thatin ADDITION to the variations caused by the massive doses of chem. doneduring the tissue culture process (to deliberately causemultiplication, clumping, AND dwarfing), that there probably is agenitic factor playing into the vegetative variation in this species. In older literature (by Dr. Eduardo Goncalves?) I recall reading thatthere is a group of plants in the highlands which were being discussedas possible P. ''selloums'' which bore a purple/scarlet spathe, whileother P. ''selloums''/P. bipinnatifidiums bore blooms with greenspathes.  Then there is the David Woolsey plant ex: Leland Miyano in Hawaii whichwas wild-collected in Brazil, and which I discussed and pictured in mymost recent article on P. xanadu in Aroideana.   Its leaves certainlybears a VERY close resemblance to adult P. xanadu ex: tissue culture(see my article!).   Then there are the plants grown here in the U.S.A. from seed ex:Seidel, like Airlans, Brians, etc., these could very well either BE P.xanadu or related to it!! We must wait and observe what the blooms and sexual parts of theirspadices on these plants look like if and when they bloom!    I am convinced that there is a complex of Meconostigmas in the wilds ofBrazil into which P. xanadu falls (or which ARE P. xanadu!) which bearblooms w/ purple-scarlat spathes.  Maybe we will get lucky, and one ofthe many Philodendron experts who work in Brazil will come up with areview of this group in the near future?? I hope that this note may clear up some questions. Julius l --------------030406060301040003040900

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