No subject

[Arisaema Enthusiast Group (AEG) Discussion List (and other=]

hardy  Aroids)" <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL> Aroids)" <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
Sender: "Arisaema Enthusiast Group (AEG) Discussion List (and other=
From: Paul Botting <pbotting at CROSSLINK.NET>
Subject: Pinellia cordata
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I'm somewhat puzzled.  Several years ago, I bought a piece of Pinellia
cordata from Don Jacobs' Eco Gardens.  It has striking veining and a purp=le
underside to the leaves which rarely exceed 5".  It is a jewel that doesn='t
get more than 4" off the ground.  It has the bulbils both at the base of
the leaf stalk and at the axil.  It has a tendency to go dormant when
things are not to its liking, especially when it gets too hat and dry.

Then I got Pinellia cordata from Kaichen.  All three plants are green wit=h
no veining and no purple underside.  The leaves are at present a little
shorter and wider than the Jacobs variety.  From this I concluded that th=e
species is plain and that the Jacobs version is of garden origin, either
from China of here in the States.

Then, to my surprise, I discovered two plain specimans among my Jacobs
clump that are indistinguishable from the Kaichen imports.  This suggests
that the either the Jacobs version does not "breed true" or that the
attempt I made last year to cross it with Pinellia tripartita was
successful, even though I was not successful in collecting the seeds.  I
shall move these plain ones and grow them a while and see how they develo=p.
It does seem unlikely that two so seemingly diverse characteristics as t=he
veining and reverse color would be as closely linked as this would imply.

Then to add to my confusion, Ellen mentions having two clones.  How do th=ey
differ, and was one from Don Jacobs?  Are Pinellias known to hybridize in
nature?

One thing I can add is that the bulbils require no cold period to start
growing.

Of course, it may turn out that the Kaichen version is not cordata but so=me
other species.  But then how to explain my plain "seedlings".

Much fun!

Paul Botting
Maryland, zone 6b