Re: [aroid-l] A. konjac questions/odor

From: Tony Avent <tony at plantdelights.com> on 2004.06.24 at 19:57:45(11681) Michael: I threw away some of the scent-free A. bulbifer seedlings figuring they don't have any commercial value. If it wasn't for the scent, what else would people have to talk about with amorphs. Wait...they could probably still find something else. It just wouldn't be right to select an A. titanum with no odor. +More At 02:42 PM 6/24/2004 -0400, you wrote: >So if you find a scent free seedling save it and call it 'Right Guard' > >_______________________________ > >Michael Marcotrigiano, Ph.D >Director of the Botanic Garden and Professor of Biological Sciences >Smith College >Lyman Conservatory, 15 College Lane >Northampton, MA 01063 >email: mmarcotr@smith.edu >voice: 413-585-2741; fax: 413-585-2744 >www.smith.edu/garden >www.science.smith.edu/~mmarcotr >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------- >"Art is the unceasing effort to compete with > the beauty of flowers and never succeeding." > Marc Chagall > >>>> tony@plantdelights.com 06/24/04 01:13PM >>> >Ken: > > Let me remind folks that amorphs are like people...some clones >of the same >species smell much worse than others. When you grow lots of the same >species from seed (plants), you'll see what I mean. > > >At 11:40 AM 6/24/2004 -0400, you wrote: >>I'm noted by friends and family for my keen sense of smell, but I >challenge >>anyone to say that konjac "isn't that bad" and truly mean it! I had a >6 >>footer open the night before my cactus club's annual show/sale - it's >held >>in quite a large space (over 3500 sq ft in a "U" shape) - and >absolulely >>everyone was complaining for two full days how awful it smelled. Since >that >>was the second year in a row I stunk the place up I promised to time >it >>better next year... >> >>If Ron's konjac "isn't that bad" then he has a clone with a defective >>odor-emitter! >> >>A follow-up email described bulbifer - I had my very first bulbifer >bloom >>this year. It was a small tuber (and a small flower)that I'd imported >from >>India for the above sale. It bloomed at the far end of my house, over >50' >>from my bedroom door. I awoke to the smell of a gas leak - but I don't >have >>gas... I knew what it must have been and went to the room where it >was >>blooming. It didn't smell like gas up close, smelled much stronger >with a >>somewhat sweet overtone, but not at all pleasant. *However* it >smelled >>nowhere near as bad as konjac! By that evening the smell was mostly >gone. >> >>In the next couple of weeks I hope to experience A. titanum's stench >up >>close. The University of CT is 20 minutes from my house and I'm >friends with >>the greenhouse staff. Their first titanum bloom is due soon. The page >has >>been failing to load because of high traffic, but the address is >>(http://florawww.eeb.uconn.edu/Titanum/Titanum2004.html ). Try this >link as >>an alternate (http://www.news.uconn.edu/2004/jun2004/rel04065.htm). >> >>UConn also had 3 A. prainii bloom a while ago but while I was able to >get >>photos I missed the stink. >> >>-Ken Mosher >> >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: >>To: >>Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2004 9:10 AM >>Subject: Re: [aroid-l] A. konjac questions >> >> >>> I agree that the odor isn't that bad. Several flowered this year >and we >>> hardly noticed them. It isn't a constant odor and, at least with >the >>clones I >>> have, you need to be quite close to smell them. Amorphophallus >>paeoniifolius is >>> another story. We had neighbors two houses down tracking down the >odor. >> >Tony Avent >Plant Delights Nursery @ >Juniper Level Botanic Garden >9241 Sauls Road >Raleigh, NC 27603 USA >Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F >Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F >USDA Hardiness Zone 7b >email tony@plantdelights.com >website http://www.plantdel.com >phone 919 772-4794 >fax 919 772-4752 >"I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least >three times" - Avent > Tony Avent Plant Delights Nursery @ Juniper Level Botanic Garden 9241 Sauls Road Raleigh, NC 27603 USA Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F USDA Hardiness Zone 7b email tony@plantdelights.com website http://www.plantdel.com phone 919 772-4794 fax 919 772-4752 "I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent

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