I bought this plant a couple of years ago, and the label only mentioned Colocasia. I am sure that it is the same I have seen growing wild in Brazil, only much taller, in a boggy place in a mountainous humid forest and that was one of the reasons why I couldn't resist buying it.
I thought that you aroids specialists could help me with its full name ?
Thanks!
I looked at the colocasias that had pictures in plantfiles and none matched that I found. I'm not an expert at all, but, it kind of looks more like an Alocasia to me with the sheen on the leaves. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable can help.
But it's beautiful and looks very healthy, whatever it is ;)
I looked at Brian's Botanicals (.net) and couldn't find a match.....looked under alocasia and colocasia - your plant reminds me of C.Gigantea, but there is not at pronounced marking on gigantea and it is a much brighter green...... Brian or someone with more experience than me will help. Gorgeous plant, bonitin, I wouldn't have resisted either!
The plant looks to be Alocasia Macrorrhiza or a similar form like odora. They are extremely hard to tell apart when not fully grown. But Macrorrhiza is the most common form sold. The plant you saw in south America was most likely a form of Xanthosoma I believe sagittifolium is the most commonly seen form but their are many others.
Alocasias are old world tropical plants only found in tropical parts of Asia and islands of the old world.
Xanthosoma are new world tropical plant and are found in south america.
Colocasia are also considered old world tropical plants but they are found all over the tropics. Most likely moved by man for thousands of years.
Hope this helps.
Thank you for your help,Tropicanna and AuntB and thank you Brian for your interesting info! I also had looked in the PF and on the web but didn't find an exact match.
I looked at the picture of the Xanthosoma sagittifolium in the PF, but that is not the one I saw in Brazil, its leaf shape doesn't match. The Brazilian one was exactly the same as my houseplant, only much taller, around 2 m and even bigger leaves. The place where it grew was so boggy that your feet sank in the water.
I think the closest match is indeed Alocasia macrorrhiza, also because it is the most common on the market like you mention.
I will baptize my plant then with this name.
Wish I had a bigger place to house more of these tropical beauties!
I gave it a holiday in my garden during summer time and I wonder if it would survive a winter in my zone ? Plant files says it can stand to - 9,4°C. My garden is very protected, surrounded entirely by huge walls and it very seldom freezes and when it does never harder than -3° and only for a brief period.
Plant Delights Nursery lists A.macrorrhiza as hardy to zone 7b. http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/Detail/01160.html I tried one last year and killed it, but I'm positive it was because the drainage was not good enough to make it through the winter (we have hard red clay soil). When winters are colder it really needs to stay as dry as possible.
I always say it's worth a try to grow it outside, in a position with very well drained soil.
forgot the link
This message was edited Jul 27, 2007 7:34 AM
