Real name for an Amorphophallus

From: Lester Kallus <lkallus at earthlink.net> on 2018.10.18 at 06:28:38(24096) I initially posted to the Amorphophallus group on Facebook but see little traffic there so will try again here. Despite my initial plans to avoid once again increasing my collection while attending the 2018 IAS Show & Sale, I could not resist during the auction when an Amorphophallus came up for bid. It was jokingly called “Mary Jane”. The label was blurry. Searching the web, it seems closest to a Madagascar species: A. mahajanga. I bid and won. It grew well for a couple weeks but overnight during a minimally (and early) cool snap here on Long Island (50F/10C), collapsed into dormancy. I’ve pulled up the tuber and it looks fine, just dormant. There had been two petioles but they appear to have been growing out of this one small tuber. I haven't formally measured it but would guess 5-6 mm in diameter. I've done a bit of web searching but have yet to find growing advice. If this truly is Am. mahajanga can someone please advise winter storage? Is it one that can be allowed to become totally dry or must I keep it in moist sphagnum until the next growing season? Lester Kallus HTML +More --------------40A939D645FD49AD4529173F-- --==============69361423532306726==

From: "D. Christopher Rogers" <branchiopod at gmail.com> on 2018.10.18 at 13:28:08(24097) Hiyer, Lester! Good to 'hear' from you! I have a couple of Subsaharan African species, but no direct information on A. mahajanga. However. all the species I have had like to be bone dry and cool (70 degrees F, 21 degrees C) during dormancy. When they are up and active they want to be hot with bright indirect light. When I say hot they do best around 90F, 30C. Remember, most of Madagascar is seasonally dry. I hope that it works for you. It sounds like a nice species. Happy days, Christopher HTML +More On Thu, 18 Oct 2018 at 07:29, Lester Kallus wrote: I initially posted to the Amorphophallus group on Facebook but see little traffic there so will try again here. Despite my initial plans to avoid once again increasing my collection while attending the 2018 IAS Show & Sale, I could not resist during the auction when an Amorphophallus came up for bid. It was jokingly called “Mary Jane”. The label was blurry. Searching the web, it seems closest to a Madagascar species: A. mahajanga. I bid and won. It grew well for a couple weeks but overnight during a minimally (and early) cool snap here on Long Island (50F/10C), collapsed into dormancy. I’ve pulled up the tuber and it looks fine, just dormant. There had been two petioles but they appear to have been growing out of this one small tuber. I haven't formally measured it but would guess 5-6 mm in diameter. I've done a bit of web searching but have yet to find growing advice. If this truly is Am. mahajanga can someone please advise winter storage? Is it one that can be allowed to become totally dry or must I keep it in moist sphagnum until the next growing season? Lester Kallus _______________________________________________ Aroid-L mailing list Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l -- D. Christopher Rogers ((,///////////=======

From: Lester Kallus <lkallus at earthlink.net> on 2018.10.18 at 18:46:15(24098) Thanks Ron & Christopher. So, dry it will be. Yes, I'll have no difficulty keeping it in those conditions. While still here on Long Island, I will have my 2nd floor greenhouse which will be kept roughly 70 over the winter. I'll just keep it on a shelf away from areas that are watered. I should have taken close-up photos, but did not expect the premature collapse. What I recall was the brilliant vermilion color where the leaflet attached to the petiole. I've seen that same vermilion in some (and only some) of the available Google images. I'm assuming that will be controllable by the amount of sun I give it next growing season. The color contrast in the leaflet and marbleized petiole may be what made "Mary Jane" an appropriate nick name. Lester +More _______________________________________________ Aroid-L mailing list Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: Susan B <honeybunny442 at yahoo.com> on 2018.10.19 at 01:22:40(24100) Hi Les, the red color rang a bell- try Amorphophallus erythrorrhachis International Aroid Society From: Lester Kallus To: aroid-l@www.gizmoworks.com HTML +More Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2018 2:47 PM Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Real name for an Amorphophallus Thanks Ron & Christopher. So, dry it will be. Yes, I'll have no difficulty keeping it in those conditions. While still here on Long Island, I will have my 2nd floor greenhouse which will be kept roughly 70 over the winter. I'll just keep it on a shelf away from areas that are watered. I should have taken close-up photos, but did not expect the premature collapse. What I recall was the brilliant vermilion color where the leaflet attached to the petiole. I've seen that same vermilion in some (and only some) of the available Google images. I'm assuming that will be controllable by the amount of sun I give it next growing season. The color contrast in the leaflet and marbleized petiole may be what made "Mary Jane" an appropriate nick name. Lester _______________________________________________ Aroid-L mailing list Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l ------=_Part_635082_1275107581.1539912160238-- --==============u55716278590436676==

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