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  Arum italicum ID
From: "plantsman" <plantsman at prodigy.net> on 2004.08.29 at 22:13:47(12102)
For several years, I've been growing several varieties of what were sold to
me as Arum italicum. I've got a group of the small variegated leaved
variety that were sold as A. italicum 'Pictum' that I know is now a
subspecies. I've also got several others that were just called A. italicum
in another group. These are much larger plants, with very large triangular
hastate leaves and get at least two feet tall. I seem to recall that their
large corms were rather long and narrow when planted. Some of them have all
green leaves and others have silver areas. I've also noticed a variation
among the spathes, although I've not kept up with which color leaf had which
spathe. Some are a pale green, others have a definite purple interior and
others just a light flush of purple down deep. Are these all A. italicum or
possible different species? I've had a devil of a time finding pictures of
any of this family. I've just harvested the seed heads from all of these
and contemplating what to do with them. Thanks!

David Sizemore

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From: "danny wilson" <mudwasp_ at hotmail.com> on 2004.08.30 at 06:15:06(12109)
sounds like they are all A. italicum. i have a somewhat large clump in my backyard with all of the variants you dscribed, adn then some!
>From: "plantsman"
>Reply-To: Discussion of aroids
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From: "Steve Ritchey" <sritchey at shreve.net> on 2004.08.30 at 16:37:00(12121)
I've often wondered if 'Pictum' might have originally been used for a clone
of italicum that really was splashed instead of veined. If so, it isn't
anymore and is considered synonomous with Marmoratum ( at least in
commerce ) and should probably be dropped to avoid confusion with the
species Arum pictum. A. pictum is much smaller, only growing 8" tall here
in the deep south. Its leaves really are 'pictumized', but with purple
instead of silver or yellow. The entire inside of the spathe is dark
purple, spadix dark brown.

I have plain leaved italicums with both solid pale yellow spathes and ones
that are purple only at the base.There are probably a lot more variations
than this. Seedlings from Pictum/ Marmoratum are highly variable, so you
might enjoy growing them and making your own selection.:-)

I don't have enough mild cool weather for them to ever become rampant as
they do in the PNW, so no need to warn me about how 'invasive' they can be
:-)

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