Stolons?

[Greg Ruckert]

Merry Christmas All.

I am curious about the use of the term stolon for Arisaema.

I was under the impression that a stolon is a " slender branch" ALONG THE
GROUND that takes root at the tip and develops a new plant.  In Gaoligong
this year we discovered a Colocasia that I described as stoloniferous.  I
was put in my place when it was pointed out that the "runner" we observed
with a new tuber/rhizome on the end is not correctly a stolon as it was
travelling a couple of centimetres below the ground.

I think you will find that strawberries are stoloniferous but that Arisaema
are not.

Greg Ruckert
Australian Areae Collection
http://www.ezi-learn.com.au/areae/default.html
-----Original Message-----
From: Roy Herold <rrh at GENESIS.NRED.MA.US>
To: ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
Date: Wednesday, 23 December 1998 9:47
Subject: Re: Another stoloniferous species


>At 5:32 PM -0500 12/22/98, Jim McClements, Dover, DE z6 is rumored to have
>typed:
>>
>> I know that the whole robustum/japonicum/serratum taxonomy is a bit
confused
>> (at least in my brain!), but has anyone seen stoloniferous forms of
robustum?
>
>Wait a minute-- I thought robustum was a synonym for amurense.....
>
>If yours is an amurense type, I can confirm that the amurense I grow is
>most certainly of the short-stoloniferous persuasion. A mature tuber will
>produce a bunch of new 'offsets' that are a couple of inches long. By fall
>they tend to separate from the main tuber, and grow on their own the next
>season.
>
>This brings into question (at least for me) what is an offset and what is a
>stolon. In my mind there are two distinct types of non-stoloniferous
>offsets:
>
>1. The candidissimum/fargesii type, where a knob forms on the side of the
>tuber, and eventually separates into a separate entity. The plane of
>separation is distinctly vertical. The offsets can range from 1/2" to 2" in
>diameter, depending on growing conditions.
>
>2. The lobatum/taiwanense/thunbergii type, where new miniature tubers form
>on the top surface. The plane of separation is horizontal, and the new
>tubers are fairly small (<1/2").
>
>These 'short-stoloniferous' types seem to be an extension of #2.
>Triphyllum is another one in this category, I'd say, but it can be
>variable. I think Ellen noted she has one that is a runner...
>
>Then there are the 'long-stoloniferous' types. My prime example is another
>Carol Fyler unknown-- radiate leaves, probably ciliatum or concinnum-- that
>has stolons up to a foot long. No flower yet for me-- it seems to expend
>all of it's energy into making those stolons.
>
>Can't recall many other examples right now-- I'm being brave (or foolhardy)
>this winter and have left most of my arisaemas in the ground to see how
>they fare. Should be down to 10F tonight-- ouch.
>
>--Roy Herold
>N. Reading, MA