[aroid-l] TitanWatch 4/22/03 !!!!! a BLOOM is on it's way

TitanWatch 4/22/03 !!!!! a BLOOM is on it's way

Here is my update and it's cooool...  I was WRONG, and I'm glad to admit it. After all my bragging, I DO NOT have four Amorphophallus gigas coming into bloom and one Amorphophallus titanum possibly about to bloom...

I have only three A. gigas blooming. After the outer sheath loosened up, the fourth chubby inflorescence turned out to be a TITAN LILY, Amorphophallus titanum, and I can see the spadix. The new Titan coming into bloom was from a pot that had lost it's label. All this time I was wondering why, since I thought it was a Devil's Tongue, A. gigas, it wasn't developing the tall peduncle (inflorescence stem) that is characteristic of that species. Needless to say I am so thrilled! We had decided some time ago that the next Amorphophallus titanum tuber to bloom at Fairchild Tropical Garden would be named 'Audrey III'.

'Mr. Stinky' the Titan I have been watching so closely still hasn't tipped it's hand. I still can't tell if it's going to bloom. If it does, you know what that means... do ya, do ya? If I play my cards right or should I say my brush, I should be able to pollinate the second flower and get hundreds if not thousands of seeds. I can just imagine bringing a thousand new Baby Stinkers into the world. WOW! Hold your nose. Well, anyway, I can hope can't I.

Today's Titan facts:

Audrey III - 33" tall with sheath beginning to open (43 pound tuber) definitely blooming!

Mr. Stinky - 24" and I don't know...    (76 pound tuber)

Craig M. Allen
Conservatory Manager
Fairchild Tropical Garden
10901 Old Cutler Road
Coral Gables (Miami), FL 33156
Telephone: 305.667.1651, ext.3320
Fax: 305.667.6930
Email: callen@fairchildgarden.org
Web: www.fairchildgarden.org
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