Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Xanthosoma...have any good pics?, 1 by bwilliams

bwilliams wrote:
Rox they are doing great. Still a little young to ID. Some I am sure I have already like atroverins and possible other forms or robustum I believe. I am hoping to get enough space to put up my data base on the internet but at the moment my photo folder contains over 22,000 photos. I have most organized but still a lot not yet ID and put in the proper folders. I went through the xanthosoma folder and got the ones you did not have listed. Their was a few I cannot find the photos to that I know I have photos of one is Xanth weeksii named after a good friend of mine and another form that produces small bulblits on the leaves very odd.

Dr Croat did a slide show a few years ago and had a photo of one xanthosoma that may actually hold the world record for largest solid leaf. It was amazing but I have not seen photos on the net of this odd species. He did not collect it he said the tubers were larger than his leg. From my memory the plant looked to have 8 foot leaves and was around 15 feet tall. It was extremely impressive.

I have not had any luck breeding xanthosomas. Here is a pic of me putting Sag pollen on wendlandii. Xanthosomas are closely related to Caladiums I have been wanting to try and cross breen a caladium onto one of the larger xanths. Would be nice to get a huge caladium like hybrid. The main problem for that it seems is they bloom early spring for me and I am usually so busy I over look the flowers and the breeding on them.