Subject: RE: "Yams"
>
> Dear Friends,
> I agree with Eduardo; I have this exact plant grown from commercially
bought
> corms from a local Jamaican grocery as "red co-co"; it probably should
be
> called X. violacium untill a review of the Genus Xanthosoma is done.
There is
> another var. of Xanthosoma here in W.P.B. that is MUCH blacker (no, not
a
> Colocasia, it`s a Xanthosoma !) which I supplied to the Nat. Zoo for
their
> "Amazon" exibit.
> Julius ju-bo@msn.com
>>Julius-
I commented on this list a couple of years ago about the plant labeled
"Xanthosoma violacea" that I saw at Kew Gardens in London at one of the
conservatories. This plant was clearly a Xanthosoma with *huge* leaves that
were very dark, almost black. Seeking same, I searched for a source of
"Xanthosoma violacea" here in the U.S. What I've consistently ended up
finding is a large Xanthosoma with purple/black stems, but the leaves are
green (and not at all comparable to the almost black leaves I saw on the Kew
plant). Do you know of a source for the ultra-dark Xanthosoma violacea?
Clarence Hester<<
Dear Clarence,
A friend of mine here in W.P.Beach, Florida has (had?) a Xanthosoma with very
dark leaf blades, I can attempt to obtain a few small corms.
Have you seen the Xanthosoma (I believe from Cen. America) that is large and
entirely Chartreuse?!? I just managed to save my plant of this from a soft rot
of the corm/rhizome caused by my neglect; I trimmed off all the soft rotten
lower areas, treated the fresh cut surface with "Ban Rot", and the tiny
terminal bud piece that remained has re-grown. It is a striking plant, and
I`ve often thought that it would look fantastic in a large exibit, if combined
with the black-leaved one. If seeking contrast, you could add X. atrvirens
(?) sold locally on occasion in Latin groceries here as "malanga amarilla",
which I have a plant of and has greyish or silvered leaves. I also have a few
plants of what was I.D.`d as X. brazilense when I published the article in
Aroideana No. 16. They had almost died from my neglect, but I have re-potted
them, and the larger purple stemmed variety is a striking plant !
I`ll start trying to obtain a plant of the black one and keep you
informed.
Keep in touch.
Reguards,
Julius Boos ju-bo@msn.com
|