Pistia stratiotes infloresence

From: "Dr. C. R. Waldron" <cwaldron at frognet.net> on 1998.10.28 at 20:06:19(2727) After drooling over the blooms of the giants (A. titanum and A. = gigas/brooksii), I thought I would throw in a note on the other extreme. = Currently blooming under lights in my basement is Pistia stratiotes. = Here in Ohio, the cold weather gets Pistia before it has a chance to = bloom (last Friday night we hit 20F). This year I decided to try a = recent suggestion and bring some inside under lights. About 3 weeks ago = I took two small plants (one c. 7cm diameter, the other 5cm), set the = roots in soggy peat in a shallow dish and placed them 4cm from two 40W = fluorescents (one a plantgrow type, the other cool white). Low and = behold, both are in bloom. There are three inflorescences on the larger = plant and one on the smaller. At just 6-7mm spathe length it takes a = magnifying glass or low-power microscope to appreciate them, but in = their own way they are exquisite little gems. Clarence

From: Don Burns <burns at mobot.mobot.org> on 1998.10.29 at 03:18:00(2728) Interesting experiment, Clarence. Its amazing what a difference in climate will do for these little plants. 10 months ago I picked up two or three of them from a friend and tossed them in my little pond, about 400 square feet of surface area. Within six months they had multiplied to the point that only 10% of the water could be seen. The rate of reproduction was amazing. Its no wonder that Pistia is among those water dwellers that Florida law prohibits moving. They are well known for choking the waterways here. All but three or four of the several hundred I removed from the pond found their way to the mulch pile where they detiorated nicely. But another harvest is coming. Tonight I counted at least 50 growing. Don +More Don Burns Plantation, FL USA Zone 10b

From: Dean Sliger <deanslgr at kode.net> on 1998.10.29 at 03:30:34(2730) Clarence -- I've had Pistia stratiotes bloom under the same conditions. Yes, they're delightful little "miniature callas" (that's what I tell visiting non-gardening friends!). +More Dean

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