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From: "JM.Grimshaw" <JM.Grimshaw at BTINTERNET.COM>
Subject: Arisaemas in flower
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Here in southern England it seems to be peak Arisaema time, with a good =
selection of species in flower in the garden outside - although some =
have still to emerge!

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.

My A. candidissimum colony is a bit reduced this year as the resu=lt of =
my giving away quite a few tubers in the winter. Never mind - it still =
has 6 fine inflorescences to enjoy. Becoming ever more abundant is A. =
flavum, whose self-sown seedlings are now appearing all over the garden =
- they are, quite frankly, a waste of time. Sadly my A. tortuosum JMG =
N22, collected as seed in Nepal 10 years ago remains as two tubers; both ==
have flowered this year, but not synchronously, so again no seed can be =
expected. Some of Guy Gusman's A. serratum from Japan are also in flower ==
- they need looking for amongst the general greenery.

Sauromatum venosum has had a good year, with 7-8 inflorescences in the =
past two weeks, while Pinellia cordata (in the greenhouse) has actually =
been scenting the air - quite pleasantly. A crop of Dracunculus vulgaris ==
about to unfurl will be less pleasant! The arums are finished except for ==
a plant of A. concinnatum acquired several years ago as A. creticum - I =
rapidly realised it wasn't creticum, but it hasn't flowered before. It =
has a very large spadix appendage, and the spathe is stained dull red - =
unlike another clone I have in which the spathe is just pale green. The =
scent is strong & not very nice, but not the stale urine mentioned by =
Peter Boyce. Last but not least, and enjoying the constant wet weather =
we're suffering, is Zantedeschia aethiopica and 'Green Goddess', both of ==
which are flowering magnificently above mounds of healthy leaves.

John Grimshaw