Re: Monstera fruits - when ripe?

**P* B* <p*@googlemail.com>**

Steve, Tom, et al., 

I've been following this thread with much interest. 

Here in Sarawak Monstera deliciosa fruits and sets viable seed regularly;
the main visitor (pollinator?) is a melolonthin scarab, tentatively
identified as Apogonia pygidialis Ritsema, which also visits numerous
indigenous aroids, notably Homalomena. 

As Tom mentions, the infructescences of M. deliciosa take almost 12 months
to mature. Just prior to the stylar plates beginning to slough away, the
entire infructescence starts to produce a powerful odour reminiscent of
overripe pineapple.

Very best

Peter

-----Original Message-----
From: aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com [aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com]
On Behalf Of Tom Croat
Sent: 10 August 2009 04:35
To: Discussion of aroids
Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Monstera fruits - when ripe?

Steve: 

I am kind of amazed that you have fruited a Monstera.  What pollinated
it?  The fruits usually take nearly a year to develop on the big one but
I think that on M. oblique the development time can be only a month or
so. 

Tom 

-----Original Message-----
From: aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com
[aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com] On Behalf Of Steve Marak
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 11:11 PM
To: Aroid list
Subject: [Aroid-l] Monstera fruits - when ripe?

Aroiders,

I thought this topic had been discussed before on Aroid-L, but I can't 
find it - how long does it take Monstera fruits to ripen, and how does
one 
tell they are ripe?

Last year about this time, a Monstera cutting in the greenhouse (which 
had, of course, gone through into the ground) began flowering. Two
fruits 
formed. I thought I remembered from that previous discussion that I
can't 
find that it takes quite some time for them to ripen, so I wasn't 
concerned until I saw it flowering again the other day and realized it's
a 
year later.

Last year's fruits are indeed a bit softer, but in the way that wood is 
softer than rock, not in a way that makes me think they're edible.

Thanks,

Steve

-- Steve Marak
-- samarak@gizmoworks.com
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