A. elephas germination

[Ellen Hornig]

Jim - my impression was that most of us *did* get germination, in the
sense of the seed producing a little tuber (hypogeal germination?).  I too
refrigerated the results, and brought them out a few weeks ago - no leaves
yet, but the little tubers are still there.

Timing of leaf production generally sort of mystifies me.  Two winters ago
(Dec. 95?) I started seeds of A. erubescens (consanguineum?).  They grew,
went dormant, then grew again in late summer '96, without benefit of
intervening cold.  Growth continued well into winter (under lights).  When
they finally went dormant, I stuck them out on a cold porch that's kept
just above freezing (not much), and there they sat until spring, when I
moved them to a shadehouse.  They're only just now beginning to send up
leaves - possibly because we've finally had some hot weather.  In the
garden, a franchetianum planted out last fall is just today breaking
ground.

On the other hand, the stock bed of A. candidissimum (tubers which
overwinter in the fridge and get planted out, fairly shallow, in mid-May)
is a glorious sight: a crowd of pink-and-white funnels pointing every
which way.  Most are females, but there's at least one male among them,
and I'm hoping he's up to doing his job...... ;-)

Ellen