Arisaemas in flower

[Anne Chambers]

In message <01BD97C9.E39D4F00 at host5-99-44-205.btinternet.com>,
"JM.Grimshaw" <JM.Grimshaw at BTINTERNET.COM> writes
>Most interesting have been the first flowerings from ACE 2101, a gathering by
>the Alpine Garden Society Expedition to China in 1994 that was labelled Arisaema
>? mixed. It was obvious by 1996 that there were several species involved, and
>when I repotted this winter I reckoned that there were three species among the
>four remaining tubers. Two have flowered - the other has not. One was A.
>consanguineum, which flowered at a height of about 2'. The other turned out to
>be, according to the Flora of China key on the Arisaema page, A. echinatum,
>although it has features of A. ciliatum (notably the slightly denticulate margin
>of the spathe base). The spathe is a dull green with faint white lines; height
>approx 1'. The leaf reaches 18", with 7 quite broad leaflets. As this seems to
>be a quite unusual species, its appearance is very welcome.  The non-flowering
>plants have about 20 radiate leaflets, but don't resemble A.
>consanguineum/erubescens - they lack the long-acuminate apex. Did anyone else
>have seed of ACE 2101? It would be interesting to compare notes.
>
Dear John
Have just returned from south-east Tibet and read your message about ACE
2101 - a friend of mine gave me some seed of this collection which like
yours has flowered for the first time this year. The plants - 2 - are
indistinguishable from A consanguineum from my Bhutan-collected seed.
Leaf has 20 radiate leaflets with 1" tip extensions. The friend died so
I am unable to determine whether he had different forms. I was also
given ACE 2030 which looks identical to 2101.
I also have A echinatum from one of my Bhutan collections which is
nothing at all like your description - mine corresponds fairly well to
Pradhan's description, spathe is green with an area of black inside the
spathe blade; whole plant is small <9" and it could not be described as
vigorous.

--
Anne Chambers, Killearn, Scotland