Colocasia?

Purchased this plant with a label saying "Alocasia". When I pointed out it wasn't an Alocasia the woman selling it said that it was an imported plant. Colocasias are illegal to import so often they're just labeled Alocasia sp which are a permissible import and the tag is never changed. But wasn't able to find out which Colocasia it is. It's repotted now (as in the photo) and in a 300mm pot because I don't know how big it'll grow or how big a clump it might form. So wondering if anyone out there knows what it is, what its growth habits are, and any particular idiosynchracies it might have that need to be taken care of, thanks.

The label was correct; that is not a Colocasia. It is Alocasia reginula 'Black Velvet', or the one I call the Little Queen. Here is a link to my article about it:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/916/

LariAnn
Aroidia Research

That's interesting. I always thought Alocasias didn't have peltate leaves.

Actually a number of the "Jewel" Alocasias do indeed have peltate leaves, and some are VERY peltate, such as Alocasia cuprea and Alocasia chaii. Here are links for those:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1110/

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1136/

LariAnn

Thanks for all that information. The potting mix is light and drains reasonably well but probably not enough for this one. In the morning I'll repot it in something closer to the recommended mix.

It's funny, I noticed the biggest leaf was following the sun around each day. End of the day it was almost laying right over facing west. Morning it would twist back to the east. It gets filtered sunlight most of the day.

I notice in the other articles it says some of the jewels come from limestone areas. Is this one similar and needing a slightly higher pH?

I'll have to check my references this evening to verify if I can. My Little Queens are in a mix that is neutral to slightly acid and they are doing fine, so it is probably OK for them.

LariAnn

I didn't change the pot size but changed the potting mix (about 2 weeks ago). The bottom half of the pot is gravel now, and on top of that is a very light mix. The plant looks very happy and has put out another leaf. The only watering it gets now (winter - dry season) is a dripper morning and evening. The potting mix is damp but not wet. Hope it won't mind the wet season rains when they come.

Tropic, it might.

I have told LariAnn before about me running when I hear thunder
to get in the chair cushions and the alocasias.

But I think they are fine as long as they are not staying wet.
They have to have a chance to dry out.

I don't recommend leaving Alocasias such as A. reginula out in the rain. A light rain might not be an issue but a torrential soaker that lasts for hours or days on and off will probably spell the end to the plant. These plants live in a tropical rainforest environment, but the substrates they grow on drain so quickly that they have thickened leaves to conserve water. This is my voice of experience!

LariAnn

I'm just wondering, some of the Jewel Alocasias come from limestone areas. When my dam was dug out many year back (before my time here but some 15 years ago) some limestone was dug up. There's been bits lying around and weathering over that time. Would it be worthwhile filling a pot with large pieces of that and putting the Alocasia in there? Water would drain immediately from that, and the limestone might make it feel at home.

It's certainly worth a trial if you have a small quantity of plants and wish to do a test. I'd use semi-composted leaf litter as a supplemental ingredient to give the roots something to hold onto. You don't want the plants to get too dry!

Agreed. The leaf litter would be mostly rotted away by the wet season, or at least when the monsoon rolls in, and by that time the roots should be well established to cope.

Thanks for all your advice, without it the plant might have already been mush, even in only the 2 weeks I've had it.

Went out and bought another A. reginula. This new one I put in a 300mm pot that I'd half filled with lumps of weathered limestone. Then a bit of broken down leaf litter. Finally the plant with the original soil in the pot. I did spread the soil and the roots out. I'll see how it goes over the next few months, and then when the monsoon sets in.

While getting that one I also bought a different Jewel Alocasia (in the photo). It's now in the same set up as the first one, pot half full of gravel and the rest is a bit of bark and the soil from its pot.