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From: guy gusman <ggusman at ULB.AC.BE>
Subject: A. pangii
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Dear arisaema lovers,
I guess that many of us got plants from Kaichen. By now, the first of the=m
are emerging and in flower in the garden.
I'd like to get information on one of them which has been sold under many
different names.
The plant was offered as:
- species 2 by Paul Christian and later as A. pangii.
- sp. #3 by Tony Avent
- A. pangii in Amand's Catalogue.

After a tentative ID I made from Kaichen's photo, this plant was believed
to be A. pangii. This name was proposed according to H. Li's illustration.
But after a careful reading of the Latin and Chinese descriptions, I
noticed that the line drawing, was made with the leaves cut down in order
to bring to front the inflorescence. This way the spathe appears as
emerging before the leaves unfurl. This is incorrect because H. Li writes
"leaves 2, the spathe (appears) after the foliage unfurl". This is not th=e
case with Kaichen's plant whose spathe emerges well before the leaves sho=w.
Sorry!

What is clear is that Kaichen's species is close to A. lobatum. Both have=a
green tuber whose shape is in the style of A. serratum and not bumpy, suc=h
as in e.g. A. franchetianum or A. candidissimum. Both, A. lobatum and
Kaichen's species, also share a stipitate spadix whose appendage is
clavate, similar leaves...
It could be a new species or a variety of A. lobatum (which has a very wi=de
distribution in China), but some questions must be answered before
concluding.
Each of us has a few specimens only but, together, we probably have many
specimens which could provide us a good idea of the actual variation:
- my specimens have (1-) 2 plain green shiny leaves with a red and wavy b=ut
entire margin. Are some of yours different? With variegated leaves? With
serrate margins?
- there are three leaflets, the central one only is petiolulate on my
plants. Have you specimens with three petiolulate leaflets?
- the lateral leaflets are unequilateral. What about your specimens ?
- the inflorescence, like in A. ternatipartitum, emerges before the leave=s
unfold. Do  you observe the same behaviour?
- are there some variation in the colour of the spathe on different speci=mens?
Thanks,
G. Gusman