Phil. squamiferum et al

From: "Carlo A. Balistrieri" <cabalist at facstaff.wisc.edu> on 1997.02.27 at 02:15:16(438) Don Burns was recently good enough to send a piece of Phil. squamiferum to be inlcuded in my little "teaching" collection. (I use the plants to give talks to kids in schools in our area and to other groups). What about that peduncle--any ideas on the adaptive purpose for the strange protrusions (maybe to prevent crawlers from getting to the leaf? Or perhaps to assist in "grabbing" hold as the plant climbs through vegetation?). Are there other species with equally interesting appendages? Carlo +More Carlo A. Balistrieri, J.D. Email: CABalist@facstaff.wisc.edu P.O. Box 327 Ashippun, WI 53003-0327 U.S.A. Voice: 414.569.1902 Telefax: same number, please call ahead.

From: golfstra at cyvox.net.au on 1997.02.27 at 15:16:48(440) Carlo A. Balistrieri wrote: > > Don Burns was recently good enough to send a piece of Phil. squamiferum to > be inlcuded in my little "teaching" collection. (I use the plants to give > talks to kids in schools in our area and to other groups). > > What about that peduncle--any ideas on the adaptive purpose for the strange > protrusions (maybe to prevent crawlers from getting to the leaf? Or perhaps > to assist in "grabbing" hold as the plant climbs through vegetation?). Are > there other species with equally interesting appendages? > > Carlo +More > > Carlo A. Balistrieri, J.D. Email: CABalist@facstaff.wisc.edu > P.O. Box 327 > Ashippun, WI 53003-0327 > U.S.A. > Voice: 414.569.1902 Telefax: same number, please call ahead. Dear Carlo Philodendron squamiferum has those hairy petioles, but I have found these to be somewhat variable amongst different plants. Some have quite long "hairs" that are a lightish colour on a very red petiole, especially on new leaves. As the leaf ages this colour in the petiole slowly fades. On my own P. squamiferum, the petiole is not so red and the "hairs" are shorter. I have a photo of a flowering specimen at Kew Gardens and the peduncle is somewhat less hairy than a typical petiole. P.x "Florida" is a hybrid of P. squamiferum x P.pedatum and as you would expect the hairs are reduced to more like nodules. Less colour too. The prize for hairy petioles though must go to P.verrucosum, Which in my humble opinion is one of the most attractive and desirable philodendrons. regards Neil Neil Crafter

From: Eduardo Gomes Goncalves <eggon at guarany.cpd.unb.br> on 1997.02.28 at 15:48:16(442) On Wed, 26 Feb 1997, Carlo A. Balistrieri wrote: > Don Burns was recently good enough to send a piece of Phil. squamiferum to > be inlcuded in my little "teaching" collection. (I use the plants to give > talks to kids in schools in our area and to other groups). > > What about that peduncle--any ideas on the adaptive purpose for the strange > protrusions (maybe to prevent crawlers from getting to the leaf? Or perhaps > to assist in "grabbing" hold as the plant climbs through vegetation?). Are > there other species with equally interesting appendages? > > Carlo +More > Dear Carlo, Yes, there are other species with such appendages. In fact, all species from subsection Achyropodium Schott (8 spp) has these strange protrusions. Most of them are from Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador. These species are: P. nanegalense P. rubrocinctum P. arcuatum P. serpens P. verrucosum P. pilatonense P. gualeanum Your plant (P. squamiferum) is the only species I know that has the protusions and don't belong to such subsection. Well, I don't think that these appendages are usefull when the plant is climbing. They have good roots to do it! About the crawlers, it make more sense to me, but I am not sure. In my field experience, it seems the worst enemy of Philos are mealybugs and scales. Maybe the protusions are usefull to difficult their stabilishment on petioles or softer portions of the stem. What do you think about? Best wishes, Ed.

From: "Carlo A. Balistrieri" <cabalist at facstaff.wisc.edu> on 1997.02.28 at 16:13:30(444) My blip on the peduncle vs. petiole matter. I should know better. Thanks to Christian for pointing it out. Thanks to Neil for saving me somewhat by indicating that the peduncle also has these "hairs" although to a lesser degree than the petioles. Will no one hazard a guess as to the evolutionary raison d'etre for these appendages? Carlo +More Carlo A. Balistrieri, J.D. Email: CABalist@facstaff.wisc.edu P.O. Box 327 Ashippun, WI 53003-0327 U.S.A. Voice: 414.569.1902 Telefax: same number, please call ahead.

Note: this is a very old post, so no reply function is available.