not-so-variegated Alocasia micholitziana variegata

From: Lester Kallus <lkallus at earthlink.net> on 1997.11.20 at 00:25:30(1639) I have (or perhaps should say "had") a variegated Alocasia micholitiziana "Frydek". It came with one macerated leaf and an active growing tip. The next 3 leaves were nicely variegated and the plant continued to grow quite well. +More The last leaf to come out was solid green with some very faint lighter green discolorations. A new leaf now is also nearly totally green with little if any variegation. Do these plants revert? Have I spent a near fortune for a plant that I already had? Is there anything I can do to increase its variegation? The light level had actually increased when the variegation began to decrease. It was outdoors at the time and night temperatures were dropping into the low 50s. It's now indoors and the light level has consequently dropped but the temperature has increased. Les

From: hermine <hermine at endangeredspecies.com> on 1997.11.20 at 05:26:11(1640) At 06:25 PM 11/19/97 -0600, Lester Kallus wrote: >I have (or perhaps should say "had") a variegated Alocasia micholitiziana >"Frydek". It came with one macerated leaf and an active growing tip. The >next 3 leaves were nicely variegated and the plant continued to grow quite >well. > >The last leaf to come out was solid green with some very faint lighter >green discolorations. A new leaf now is also nearly totally green with >little if any variegation. Time to get out the knife and terminate the green with extreme prejudice. i hope there is enough variegated plant to support growth. after the surgery i would supply the beauty with ICU conditions. hermine +More a variegated woman

From: sean & madeline sims <smsims at connectnet.com> on 1997.11.21 at 05:59:01(1642) Lester Kallus wrote: > I have (or perhaps should say "had") a variegated Alocasia micholitiziana > "Frydek". It came with one macerated leaf and an active growing tip. The > next 3 leaves were nicely variegated and the plant continued to grow quite > well. > > The last leaf to come out was solid green with some very faint lighter > green discolorations. A new leaf now is also nearly totally green with > little if any variegation. > > Do these plants revert? Have I spent a near fortune for a plant that I > already had? Is there anything I can do to increase its variegation? The > light level had actually increased when the variegation began to decrease. > It was outdoors at the time and night temperatures were dropping into the > low 50s. It's now indoors and the light level has consequently dropped but > the temperature has increased. > Les Les: I have numerous variegeted Alocasia Gageanas' in which a few of the offspring have lost their variegation. A nursery horticulturalist told me that the variegetion is acually a mutation of the species and it is impossible to maintain full control over the levels of variegation present in a particular plant. Several of my offspring have had 100% variegated leaves, which soon die because of lack of chlorophyll. But a majority of them appear as miniatures of the parent plants, which are evenly distributed for the most part. I say give it some time and keep the light levels at a constant and just wait it out. Nature will take it's course either way. Let me know how it comes along. Sean Sims +More Encinitas, CA

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at classic.msn.com> on 1997.11.21 at 06:06:42(1643) ---------- Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 1997 7:25 PM To: ju-bo@msn.com Subject: not-so-variegated Alocasia micholitziana variegata I have (or perhaps should say "had") a variegated Alocasia micholitiziana "Frydek". It came with one macerated leaf and an active growing tip. The next 3 leaves were nicely variegated and the plant continued to grow quite well. The last leaf to come out was solid green with some very faint lighter green discolorations. A new leaf now is also nearly totally green with little if any variegation. Do these plants revert? Have I spent a near fortune for a plant that I already had? Is there anything I can do to increase its variegation? The light level had actually increased when the variegation began to decrease. It was outdoors at the time and night temperatures were dropping into the low 50s. It's now indoors and the light level has consequently dropped but the temperature has increased. Les Dear Les, I have seen variegated Alocasias put out all-green leaves, then start to produce the variegated or part variegated leaves after an interval. I have also noticed that larger plants seem to produce less variegated leaves than the immature and smaller plants. Do any other growers out there notice this "trend"? Good luck. Julius +More ju-bo@msn.com

From: Lester Kallus <lkallus at earthlink.net> on 1997.11.22 at 03:34:34(1644) Do offsets of those larger plants begin to put out variegated leaves again? Les +More > >Dear Les, >I have seen variegated Alocasias put out all-green leaves, then start to >produce the variegated or part variegated leaves after an interval. I= have >also noticed that larger plants seem to produce less variegated leaves than= >the immature and smaller plants. >Do any other growers out there notice this "trend"? >Good luck. >Julius >ju-bo@msn.com >

From: Rand Nicholson <writserv at nbnet.nb.ca> on 1997.11.22 at 03:41:53(1645) >---------- >From: aroid-l@mobot.org on behalf of Lester Kallus >Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 1997 7:25 PM >To: ju-bo@msn.com >Subject: not-so-variegated Alocasia micholitziana variegata > >I have (or perhaps should say "had") a variegated Alocasia micholitiziana >"Frydek". It came with one macerated leaf and an active growing tip. The >next 3 leaves were nicely variegated and the plant continued to grow quite >well. > >The last leaf to come out was solid green with some very faint lighter >green discolorations. A new leaf now is also nearly totally green with >little if any variegation. > >Do these plants revert? Have I spent a near fortune for a plant that I >already had? Is there anything I can do to increase its variegation? The >light level had actually increased when the variegation began to decrease. >It was outdoors at the time and night temperatures were dropping into the >low 50s. It's now indoors and the light level has consequently dropped but >the temperature has increased. > Les > >Dear Les, >I have seen variegated Alocasias put out all-green leaves, then start to >produce the variegated or part variegated leaves after an interval. I have >also noticed that larger plants seem to produce less variegated leaves than >the immature and smaller plants. >Do any other growers out there notice this "trend"? >Good luck. >Julius >ju-bo@msn.com I have witnessed this phenomenon in other species and have noted that cuttings from a variegated plant that has reverted to green sometimes regain their variegation after they become established. What is the explanation for this? Could it be a genetic thing that is somehow "switched" back on by the trauma of the propagation method? Kind Regards, Rand +More Rand Nicholson New Brunswick Maritime Canada, Z 5b

From: Clarence Hester <hesterc at niven.acpub.duke.edu> on 1997.11.22 at 03:47:48(1646) Lester Kallus wrote: > > I have (or perhaps should say "had") a variegated Alocasia micholitiziana > "Frydek". It came with one macerated leaf and an active growing tip. The > next 3 leaves were nicely variegated and the plant continued to grow quite > well. +More > > The last leaf to come out was solid green with some very faint lighter > green discolorations. A new leaf now is also nearly totally green with > little if any variegation. > > Do these plants revert? I was told a few years ago by one of the guys at Glasshouse Works that offspring of their varigated Alocasia are only variegated approximatley 50% of the time. I do not know if this represents a reasonably true calculation, or just an armchair observation. I have a sneaking suspicion that plants with unstable variegation may lose their variegation as a response to some sort of stress, such as colder-than-prefered temperatures, a significant change in soil/light/fertilizer, etc. Anecdotally, I had a variegated banana ("Ae Ae", Musa sp.) that was nicely variegated until I decided to move it from a pot in a sheltered area to a sunny spot in the yard. The variegation ceased and reverted totally to green shortly after this transplant. The "good" news, if one could call it that, is that the plant appeared to become much more vigorous. As another example, I just moved a variegated Colocasia/Alocasia (don't know the species) that I got from Frank Galloway indoors to protect it from frost, etc. It has put out a new leaf that is not only sans variegation, but also has a rather deformed looking shape. Bill Lessard suggests(ed) in his book on bananas (or was it just in a conversation?) that increasing/decreasing varigation can be somewhat controlled by pH level (acidity leads to loss of varigation in the Ae Ae possibly, while more neutral pH leads to greater vareigation). Maybe some plants that are so highly variable (e.g., Alocasias) are extra-sensitive to any sort of shock. It would not appear to be total random chance, since if this were the case, would one not expect the plant to be equally likely to revert to total lack of chlorophyll (and of course, this too happens on a "one leaf" basis, but I've never seen a succcesion of more than one white leaf). Clarence

From: Lester Kallus <lkallus at earthlink.net> on 1997.11.22 at 18:14:18(1648) Well the "good" news (perhaps) is that the most recent leaf to come out just opened up today. It's pseudo-variegated as opposed to the last leaf. The previous one (yes, it was cold at night at that time - mid 50s) was solid green. This latest one grown indoors is variegated with a light green against a dark green. If those who've suggested stress or getting established are correct, then I'd like to think that the next leaf will be a bit more variegated. I've been working far too many hours to update my web pages with these images. This next week, when my schedule lightens up a bit, I'll upload some images of this not-so-variegated alocasia as well as the occassional-tubers on Colocasias and last of all my assembly line of caladium tuber preparation. +More Perhaps when some look at the not-so-variegation, you'll have some suggestions. Les

From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at classic.msn.com> on 1997.11.22 at 18:18:30(1649) ---------- Sent: Friday, November 21, 1997 10:34 PM To: ju-bo@msn.com +More Subject: Re: RE: not-so-variegated Alocasia micholitziana variegata >>Do offsets of those larger plants begin to put out variegated leaves again? Les<< Les, Yes, I believe so, as in Trinidad I used to come across specimens of the large common Alocasia sp. around houses that had been planted there as a curiosity due to their variegation. These were the ones where I observed the "wax and wane" of the level of Variegation, and offshoots seemed to ALWAYS produce variegated plants, so the strain has kept constant over MANY years with no real efforts to keep it that way, except for the giving away to friends the suckers of this curious and beautiful plant. Cheers, Julius ju-bo@msn.com > >Dear Les, >I have seen variegated Alocasias put out all-green leaves, then start to >produce the variegated or part variegated leaves after an interval. I= have >also noticed that larger plants seem to produce less variegated leaves than= >the immature and smaller plants. >Do any other growers out there notice this "trend"? >Good luck. >Julius >ju-bo@msn.com >

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