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Mark Dimmitt's A. titanum |
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Mark Dimmitt's A. titanum |
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The A.titanum shown here were grown from the seed which came from Palmengarten's index seminum in 1993. The three seeds began to germinate almost immediately, but it took 18 months for the first leaf to unfurl completely.
All plants are fertilized heavily, with every watering through an injector at 100 to 150 ppm N. These Amorphophallus seedlings have been making two to three leads each year so far. During the last year there was only one leaf per corm, and each lasted about 14 months.
The greenhouse runs about 90 degrees F during the day (cooled by evaporation), and 55 to 75 at night, winter and summer respectively.
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New leaves emerging from the ground on October 5, 1997, after less
than a month of "dormancy". They are quite synchronous this time, and about
two weeks old. The larger (farther) pot is 24 inches diameter and 18 inches
deep.
This photograph is also available in larger size (84.6 kB). |
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October 14, in what I like to call the "crinoid" stage. Notice
that the smaller plant has split its corm and is producing two leaves. Both
clones have done this during their first few years. They are the same age
(four years, third growth cycle). Other plants visible (some only on the full photo linked below) are a Dracontium
pittieri (tall petiole with stunted leaf on far left); Tapeinochilus
annanasae and Costus barbatus (the gingers in center background); Vanilla
roscheri (the leafless vine); Aechmea chantinii (bromeliad at far right),
and Catasetums (upper left).
This photograph is also available in larger size (68.2 kB). |
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A closeup of the smaller leaf in the crinoid stage.
This photograph is also available in larger size (51.5 kB). |
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November 2, Jared Shortman admires the larger leaf unfolding just
inches below the 9-foot roof. The petiole is 6 feet 2 inches from ground to
the trifurcation, five inches thick at the base.
Tom Gibson at the U of Wisconsin told me that titanum can flower at this
size. I hope he's right, because I don't know what I'll do next year. I
gave duplicates of both clones to Biosphere II, where I presume they'll have
ample room.
This photograph is also available in larger size (67.8 kB). |
All photos Copyright © 1997 Mark A. Dimmitt, who is also the author of the text.
Page design Krzysztof Kozminski
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