[Aroid-l] Alocasia Amazonica, the Banta's reply re Andre]

From: ExoticRainforest <Steve at ExoticRainforest.com> on 2009.11.17 at 13:56:51 Well folks, people are lining up on this issue but most are doingso privately not through Aroid l.  Some believe the plant definitelycame from Belgium while another not quoted here appears to believethere is no way it came from Miami.  The first note came today fromJohn Banta and the second from Belgium. It strongly appears there may be a difference in the plant credited to André nowknown on the National Botanic Garden of Belgium site as Alocasia xamazonica and the plant commonly sold as Alocasia Amazonica in theUnited States.  The first question that comes to mind would be whywould anyone in Europe name a plant known to be from Asia using thename "amazonica"?  Did someone simply adopt the name "amazonica" once the plant sold inthe U.S. as a tissue culture became popular? Is this nothing more than a disagreement over a popular name and whocame up with a plant similar to the one being sold first?  If so, theoriginal plant would appear to need to have been born of the sameparentage in order to claim that title.  I was given a contact name at National Botanic Garden ofBelgiumbut have not received a response.  Obviously I'm not going to resolvethis but still would like to understand all this better.  Iam just in this to learn and not take a position.  If any of our esteemed botanists can offer more insight please let ushear from you. Steve www.ExoticRainforest.com From John Banta: "Sloppy taxonomony accounts for many mysteries! Andre did in factmention in 1891 in Review Hortic an Alocasia hybrid between A,sanderiana and A. Lowii those parents were later ascribed to A.Amazonica in error. The Alocasia described by Andre is correctly namedmortefontanensis.  In as much as Sam made A. Amazonica using A,sanderiana X A. Watsoniana.  It is NOT the plant mentioned by Andre. Ifanyone wants to argue the point further let them remake A. Amazonica asI did. Both species are still available. Talk is cheap. Growers shouldresolve these problems on the basis of true observations. Get off thecomputers and do some real botany!" "I'm growing alocasia for 30 years or so now and alocasia x amazonicaisthe first plant i grow.this is an old hybrid,for sure before 1950!! Manyof the hybrids of that period were bred here in belgium in nursery inthe begining of last century,like 'veich laboratory ' andothers.Alocasia sanderana is NOT an horticultural name.It is a speciesfrom Philippines.Nobilis and sanderana are the same species,nobiluswith more sinuous leaves.a Watsoniana was a species until some yearsagoo when A hay put it as a synonym of alocasia longiloba.  Growingmanyalocasia from longiloba complex likelowii,longiloba,korthalsii,denudata and many others,i sincerely don'tundestand why alocasia watsoniana was incuding in that 'speciescomplex'.  The plant have virtualy no variability(unless maybe in thecolor of the limb),and have only in commun with that complex the whitecaracteristic midrib of that complex.the corms are different,the leavesare different,and larger of any in this complex.One ofthe most beautiful species of the genus!x amazonica have part of the 2species." --------------000900030509050200030604

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