A. dracontium sex life, hybrids

[McClements, Jim]

Roy and Ray (or is it Ray and Roy?)

Thanks to you both for all the good info.

If Roy's observation that none of his plants ever had an all-male stage is a
universal experience, then we might have another category to add to the
possible sex change sequence variations previously described for the
different species of arisaemas. However, I just went out to the garden,
flashlight in hand, and determined that my other flowering plant is a pure
male (I didn't check for testosterone).

Since the "femaleness" of arisaemas is thought to depend largely on their
stored starch reserves and general well-being, we can only assume that the
plants are so happy in Roy's garden that they skip the all-male stage.
Congratulations, Roy!

Incidentally, the best reference that I've seen on the subject of "sequential
hermaphroditism" in arisaemas is the paper "Jack and Jill in the Pulpit" by
Paulette Bierzychudek, Nat. Hist. 91(3): 22-27. 1982. Ray, do you have a copy
of this? If you, or anyone else, wants a copy, I'll be glad to send it (by
s-mail).