Re: Dead Horse Arum

From: "Wilbert Hetterscheid" hetter at worldonline.nl> on 2001.04.27 at 04:53:47(6279) Peoples, Pay attention to the way Alan photographed and skilfully operated on his Helicodiceros, THAT is the proper way to do it if you want an aroid identified. Well done, Alan, and congrats on the flowering of what I consider the most spectacular of all aroids.........and it isn't even an Amorphophallus............ Wilbert +More ----- Original Message ----- To: Multiple recipients of list AROID-L Sent: donderdag 26 april 2001 17:19 Subject: Dead Horse Arum > A few years back, a fellow Aroid-l-er shared some tubers of Helicodiceros > muscivorus > with the list. The tubers that I received were planted in the garden here > in Raleigh, NC, > USA (USDA Zone 7) and the plants have gotten larger and larger each year. A > few > days ago one plant reached its maturity by producing an inflorescence. I've > posted a > few pictures of this awesome flower on my web site at: > > http://www4.ncsu.edu/~alan/plants/aroids/helicodiceros/ > > The flower is much larger than I expected and the odor so much worse than I > had > anticipated. Of all the aroids that have bloomed for me, this is the worst! > It even > outranks Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, which almost makes me hurl breakfast. > > If you notice the latter pictures, where the spathe has been cut open, the > cream-colored > substance is the eggs of flies. Of all the aroid flowers that I have > photographed, many > have had flies and other insects crawling all over the 'naughty bits', but > this is the first where > the flies have actually laid their eggs. > > Now, if I can tolerate the odor long enough to collect some pollen. > > Alan > ------------------------------------ > Alan Galloway > Raleigh, North Carolina > ------------------------------------ > > >

Note: this is a very old post, so no reply function is available.