Re: Alocasia 'Portodora'

From: mburack at mindspring.com on 2001.05.07 at 14:25:37(6380) Dear David, I had a similar experience recently. I lost the growth point of a fairly large plant (the "trunk" is about 5.5 feet tall). This was due to a fungus of some kind that I didnt catch fast enough. The plant also has but out bunches of "offsets" at the base. (Which it does from time to time anyway) It grows quite vigorously here in Florida. I use them as large landscape accent plants. I am surprised however, that you say they arent cultivated in your area commonly...here they are sold at numerous nurseries, usually for stupidly overpriced amounts of money....but nonetheless, they are very available. +More aroid-l@mobot.org wrote: > I hope I spelled this cultivar correctly. I've seen it spelled at least a couple of different ways. Anyway it's the cross between A. portei and A. odora. I had a plant that for some reason last year, the main growth point died and then the plant just sat there for a couple of months. Then I noticed a few small growths coming up around it by last Fall. I overwintered it in a friend's greenhouse as I didn't want to risk losing it. I've checked on it periodically and noticed the new leaves developing and decided to take it home today as our weather is finally warming up. I hadn't paid too much attention to how many shoots there was but it was looking crowded. I decided to separate and repot it and check on the health of the original tuber. On separating it, I discovered that I had seventeen plants growing in that pot! I also noticed that this cross appears to be somewhat stoloniferous as I found a couple that were developing small tubers some distance away from the main corm. The big original corm appeared to be quite healthy, although minus the main growth point. In fact, it appeared as if it had been cut straight off with a knife and had healed over. There was a number of buds developing up and down the side of the tuber so I also repotted it for some additional plants hopefully. I really thought I was in trouble when the old growth point died but now I'm rather thankful that it did! Has anyone else had experience with this cultivar? I've got the only one that I've ever seen and no one else in this area is growing it. I've had very little luck finding out how to grow it except by trial and error. I do know that it can be overwintered dormant in a dry state and still regenerate the following Spring. Anyone care to comment? David A. Sizemore Aloha Flower Company ~ The Best Hawaiian Tropicals Farm-Direct to You ~ Serving Florists and Corporate/Hospitality Accounts plantsman@prodigy.net

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