Betr: Sikkim collected seeds for sale

[pbruggeman at TISCALI.NL]

Diane,

I have travelled extensively through the areas where Vojtech has collected
the seeds and for jacquemontii, nepenthoides and tortuosum the ID's are likely
correct. However the cf. speciosum is probably something different because
the altitude at Thangching is too high for speciosum. On that trekking route
(the route to the Gocha La) speciosum occurs at Choka mixed with A. tortuosum
but not futher north. Beyond Bakkim one can not find A. speciosum (or its
higher altitude form var. mirabile) which means it is probably a member of
the griffithii-alliance he has collected under this name (which is not bad
of course!) unless his data of the collection site are incorrect (maps are
horrible for Sikkim.....-:}).

The consanguineum ID I have serious problems with because Yume is the most
northerly part of the Yumthang Valley (north of Lachung) very close to the
border with Tibet and that area is well above 4000 m (and not 2500 m as he
states), too high for either consanguineum or concinnum. Of consanguineum
and concinnum only concinnum can grow at 2500 m but that is about the highest
altitude it occurs. Consanguineum is in that part of India restricted to
the Darjeeling-area in West-Bengal and occurs sporadically with plants well
separated and I have not observed any seed set on these plants.

Nevertheless, definitely interesting to see these seeds offered from an area
where still very few clones of known species are grown in cultivation. Thanks
for pointing it out to the group. I only hope Vojtech has not put these seeds
in the freezer as well because most Arisaema-seeds don't survive this treatment.

Pascal

>-- Oorspronkelijk bericht --
>Date:         Mon, 10 Nov 2003 13:41:04 -0800
>Reply-To:     "Arisaema Enthusiast Group (AEG) Discussion List (and other
>hardy              Aroids)" <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
>From:         Diane Whitehead <ua024 at VICTORIA.TC.CA>
>Subject: Sikkim collected seeds for sale
>To:           ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL
>
>
>Vojtech Holubec, a Czech botanist, alpine grower, and seed collector, has
seed of 7 Sikkimese arisaemas for sale in his latest catalogue, which I
received today.  It is also available online at
http://www.delonix.cz/Cz/seminum.php

Sikkim is botan
>cally rich.  It has heavy summer rain and deep winter
snow.  The arisaemas listed are: cf.speciosum (reddish-purple spathe,
white stripes), cf utile (reddish-brown spathe, white stripes),
consanguineum, jacquemontii, nepenthoides, propinquum, tortuo
>um.

--
Diane Whitehead  Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8
cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually)
sandy soil