lingyunense Re: About Arisaema sikokianum

[Danielle]

Adam,

lingyunense = dahaiense according to Wilbert.  Just got an email from him.

Never heard of a griffithii with 11 leaves!  You just might have an invading
hosta.

Danielle
Edgewood, Washington
zone 7b


----- Original Message -----
From: "irisman" <irisman at AMERITECH.NET>
To: <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2002 1:27 PM
Subject: Re: About Arisaema sikokianum


Thanks, Andy, I think that the clarification is important, our language
doesn't always clarify possible ambiguities.  The "grow and become female"
is not unknown in other species, which change sex, including fish , but
other patterns turn up depending on the 'critter' and the degree of crowding
and competition

I've also been delighted by the comments on culture of sikokianaum, sort of
boiling down to don't feed them so much, or force-feed them  and put them to
"bed" with so much humus to hold the moisture in.,  I suspect that if they'e
treated more like spring bulbs requiring sharp drainage, we might not lose
so many, even from Chen Yi.  One of the tubers I got from her
lingyunense  -now somthing else-but maybe misnamed anyway?) is up about a
foot.  No inflloresence , and leaves somewhat mottled with yellow  (virus?)
but survived its first winter I have yet to see anyting besides arums,
sikokianum and the aforementioned. But I still hope for a few things.

Typically, do first-year seedlings have only one leaf?  My griffithii had
about ll with a few dying as the plant progressed so that as it grew, it
maintained an average of 9.  This year, the leaves are blue-green, not
yellowish, and there are only two so far,(after 1 month of growth) the
second  growing out from within the first, like a miniature hosta.  The
pattern last year, was not like this at all, with each leaf apparently
arising from a slightly different spot, not unlike a miniature birdsnest
fern.     Now I'm wondering if I have a hosta seedling.  Comment please?
Adam Fikso in Glenview, IL 60025-2537 USDA  5a




----- Original Message -----
From: "Andy Y.S. Wong" <asiatica at NNI.COM>
To: <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2002 1:50 PM
Subject: Re: About Arisaema sikokianum


> I believe that in arisaema a combination of age and vigor determine sex,
> not the other way around.  Older plants under good culture get bigger
> and transition from male to female.  Plants under stress, especially
> those that lose their leaves early in the season, become smaller and
> weaker and revert to being male.  If a plant carries a lot of seeds to
> maturity, the plant might be so sapped of strength that it reverts to
> male (it is not unusual for one plant to produce hundreds of seeds).
> Removing the seed head will help maintain its size and female status.
> Excellent culture and high fertility will produce a population of
> females.  They don't "grow larger as females"; they grow large and then
> inevitably are females.
>
> Barry Yinger
>
> Susan Cox wrote:
> >
> > Donna,
> >
> > > Donna, you might dig that sikokianum up just to see if the mother
> > > plant produced bulbils also, or if maybe fertile seed germinated next
> > > to it.
> >
> > Not a good suggestion.  I would be happy to know how you have managed to
> > grow yours so successfully, but not at the expense of your beautiful
> > plants!
> >
> > As far as yours being female for so long, and the fact that Mr. Yamamoto
> > mentioned that in the wild they tend to grow larger as female, I was
> > wondering if this is why, at least with your one very large female, it
> > grows so big (it stays female).
> >
> > You mentioned that you pull the seed heads before they ripen.  Do you
> > know if this practice deters Arisaema from reverting back to male after
> > producing seed?
> >
> > Susan
>