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  RE: [Aroid-l] Xanthosoma atrovirens info.
From: "Julius Boos" ju-bo at msn.com> on 2005.10.11 at 22:40:37(13432)
Reply-To : Discussion of aroids
Sent : Monday, October 10, 2005 11:02 PM
To : aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
Subject : RE: [Aroid-l] Xanthosoma? Please help to ID

Dear Tom, Eduardo and all Friends,

Here in Florida X. atrovirens is sold VERY seasonally in my 'contact'
groceries, it is sold as 'Malanga amarilla' or 'Yautia amarilla', and is
very popular w/ folks from the Dominican Republic. It has a
dark/blackish-skinned HAIRY (roots) rhizome, usually the same thickness
throughout, usually short and relatively thick, it is cut flush at the
growing side, 'healed' at the bottom, looks more like a Colocasia rhizome,
and is quite unlike the other flask-shaped rhizomes ("chubas"!!! :--)>) of
the other Xanthosoma sps. commonly sold here in S. Florida. As Eduardo
said, it has a strikingly colored orange/yellow flesh, and this has a corky,
lighter colored layer about 1/8" thick between the orange flesh just under
the black skin. The flavor when cooked is like a mixture of peanuts and
corn flour. The plant grows with the blade`s sinus full to the joint, very
unlike other Xanthosoma sps. I have grown and seen. The last I grew had a
silvered 'sheen' to its leaves, VERY attractive.
I`ll ask my Cuban/Dom. Rep. friends here where it is commonly grown, if I
had to guess, I`d say it is commoner in the Dom. Republic. We did NOT have
it in Trinidad, and my Cen. American friends do not know it.
Before I forget, Deni Bown refers to this yellow fleshed one as X.
atrovirens, but she also calls the Xanthosomas, one w/ the var. colored
'deformed' leaves w/ the 'cups' on the leaf-tips, AND the all-green w/ the
little "labias" on the underside of the leaf blades, X. atrovirens, I do not
believe this is correct.
Hope this helps!

Julius

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