From: "Peter Boyce" p.boyce at rbgkew.org.uk> on 2000.06.15 at 21:45:46(4787)
Dear All
The newly raised issue of juvenile monsteroids flowering is
interesting because, while the production of flowers by a plant
vegetatively in a juvenile phase does occur in the monsteroids,
notably Monstera tuberculata, Rhaphidophora hayi, R. latevaginata,
R. pachyphylla, R. parvifolia, R. okapensis and Scindapsus lucens,
this 'M. dubia' thing is that the plants are flowering with very small
leaves and BENEATH the leaves, whereas in all of those listed
above while the juvenile growth morphology is retained into
flowering in most instances the leaves of flowering individuals are
considerably larger than those of youngsters and the
inflorescences are carried clear of the leaves either at the tips of
clinging shoots or on free shoots arising from the leaf axils. If the
description of this 'dubia' plant is correct it would appear that
inflorescences are arising directly from the leaf axils. Because
aroids ALWAYS flower at the shoot apex it would mean that in this
plant each inflorescence is carried at the tip of a very short shoot
arising in the leaf axil (the same situation as in Pothos scandens) -
a feature not yet recorded in the Monstereae.
Pete
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