Re: Rhaphidophora sp. at Fairchild Tropical Garden
- To: Multiple recipients of list AROID-L
- Subject: Re: Rhaphidophora sp. at Fairchild Tropical Garden
- From: P* B*
- Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2000 10:30:37 -0500 (CDT)
Dear Craig
This is VERY interesting and whatever genus your plant turns out to belong
(I'm now quite convinced that it IS a Rhaphidophora - see below) to it is
definitely an undescribed species.
Further, and contrary to my earlier emails giving this plant the name
Monstera dubia, this is clearly not going to grow into anything other then
what it is displaying already. It seems to be another of the extreme
neotenic Rhaphidophora species that are on New Guinea.
These extreme neotenic Rhaphidophora species are uncommon (five recorded to
date; three in New Guinea and Australia (R. hayi, R. pachyphylla, R.
okapensis), one in Maluku (R. parvifolia) and one in Borneo (R.
latevaginata) but none flower in the manner you have described for the
Fairchild plant, which is why I am now sure that it's new.
I am presently writing an account of Rhaphidophora for New Guinea, Australia
and the tropical Western Pacific and would be really grateful if you could
keep an eye out for flowering of your plant this summer and, if possible,
preserve an inflorescence or two into 70% alcohol as it opens. I will be in
Fairchild for the IAS Annual this September - could we meet up and take a
look at this plant?
Many thanks in advance
Pete
Peter C. Boyce
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Richmond
Surrey TW9 3AE
UK
Tel.: (+44) (0) 20 8 573 1212 (home)
(+44) (0) 20 8 332 5207 (work)
Fax: (+44) (0) 20 8 332 5278
email: boyce@pothos.demon.co.uk (home)
p.boyce@rbgkew.org.uk (work)
