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  Re: Synandrospadix vermitoxicus
From: "Eduardo Goncalves" edggon at hotmail.com> on 2001.01.24 at 05:39:59(5862)
Dear Al,

Once again, I must say that I have never seen these goodies (Gorgonidium
and Synandrospadix) in nature as yet, but I have read a lot of herbarium
schedules! (I am still lurking among dead plants with Andean Spathicarpoids)
Both Synandrospadix vermitoxicus and Gorgonidium vermicidum seem to be very
common in Salta and there are lots of collections known. Jorge Crisci in his
revision of Aroids from Argentina (Crisci, 1971, Rev. Mus. de La Plata Bot.
11(64):193-284) lists approximately 15 collections of S. vermitoxicus and 10
collections of G. vermicidum only from Salta province, and it was in 1971!
Many more were collected since then. Such numbers show that they are common,
because aroids are usually overlooked by plant collectors. Both species are
known to be fond of well drained rocky soils, mainly at the margins of small
fragments of forest or gallery forests. Synandrospadix seems to like sunny
spots or very bright shade. There is a tip: don't go during the southern
winter (from May to September) or you won't find anything. Most collections
were done from November to April. There is another tip: If you find one of
them, look around and maybe you will also find the other one. Tuberous
aroids are not so creative in South America, so they usually occur together!
Every time I find Taccarum I take a look around and also find Spathicarpa
and sometimes some tuberous Xanthosoma. It is common to find herbarium
collections with a inflorescence of Spathantheum and a leaf of Gorgonidium.
They occur so close together that it is not possible for a common collector
to distingish between two different genera in the field.

Best wishes,

Eduardo.

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