triphyllum var. quinatum

[W. George Schmid]

Hi Petra,
Very interesting! First I am told there is no A. quinatum or subsp. quinatum
or var. quinatum anymore (according to the experts) and further it is not
supposed to grow in Tenn nor NC.(according to Huttleston). I have studied
this "species" for many years (20 or so). In past years, Sigi and I spent
time early in May in west. NC, around Roan Mountain, Spruce Pine and
Linville Falls and have observed mature plants that look like "quinatum" but
the leaflets did not have a glaucous back, as they should (according to H's
key). This spring (early May) we went to North Georgia and observed and
photographed a number of different variants in the wild (Rabun county
[several loci including Beegum Gap], Chatooga River area, Union county
(Sosebee), DeKalb County (the tall plants you saw in my garden were found in
DeKalb County in 1969), Pickens county (S.C.) and several spots in western
NC and NE Alabama. The five-leaf form can be observed in several of these
locations in close proximity to the standard three-leaf species with no
apparent hybrids nearby. The mature plants we saw were shiny on the leaflet
underside. None had the "lobed" appearance often seen on other variants,
where the outside leaflets develop thumb-like lobes. These lobes can be from
very small to large (almost typical leaflet size) enough to be considered
another leaflet, but the base is always connected and on close exam an
extension and part of the outside leaflet. The "true" five-leaf has fully
developed leaflets that terminate at the same point on a distinct but
combined petiole. Most of those seen have two leaflets with the peduncle
arising from the intersection of the branching petiole intersection. The
taller leaf has five leaflets and the lower leaf usually three. It blooms
much later than the type and always has highly colored (snakeskin)
cataphylls and petioles that almost look like those on A. yunnanense at
first, but lose some of their coloration after blooming, yet never fade
completely. Did you observe this coloration? I have never seen plain green
colored cataphylls and petioles on the "true" five-leaf. Some believe that
the five-leaf variant represents a hybrid swarm between ssp
triphyllum and ssp. pusillum but where does the unique coloration of the
cataphylls/petiole come from? How come the peduncle is very long (to 15 cm)
as compared to the type)? Previously, I found populations in the Linville
Falls area (on private property by permission) and was able to obtain a
variants that looks exactly like the 'Atrorubens' form, very dark coloration
(but not snake-skin type) everywhere and glaucous leaflet undersides, but it
has 5 fully developed leaflets (not lobes!) and very short peduncle. Gusman
does not give a complete analysis for A. quinatum because he never had
living plants and H. also has only a very short description. I believe that
there are more than one variable species in the A. triphyllum complex.
George

W. George Schmid
Hosta Hill - Tucker Georgia USA
Zone 7a - 1188 feet AMSL
84-12'-30" West_33-51' North
Outgoing e-mail virus checked by NAV
----- Original Message -----
From: "Petra Schmidt" <petra at PLANTDELIGHTS.COM>
To: <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2004 1:52 PM
Subject: triphyllum var. quinatum


> Hello,
> I spent a few days in the southern Appalachians, Roan Mt. area, and was
> excited to see the progressing leaf stages, from 3-lobed to 4- to 5-lobed
of
> Arisaema quinatum...the woodland was filled with quinatum in all stages of
> leaf development, blooms (old) on the 5-lobed stage.  The 3-leafed stage
is
> very different from the 3-parted triphyllum leaf, not at all like typical
> triphyllum.  I saw another hillside in a different area on a different day
> and, again, the plants held blades in all stages.
> One other note of observation was that I saw lots of A. triphyllum growing
> in the moss attached to boulders and on moss growing on trunks of fallen
> trees.
> Petra
>
> Petra Schmidt
> Research Manager
> Juniper Level Botanic Gardens @ Plant Delights Nursery
> 9241 Sauls Road
> Raleigh, NC 27603-9326 USA
> petra at plantdelights.com
> www.plantdelights.com