Re: [Aroid-l] Syngonium setting seed in S. Florida

**A* B* <e*@earthlink.net>**

Julius:

	This is an interesting observation because if these genera are
being pollinated in Florida it means that some local pollinator has
learned how to do it and thus they could simply go native in Florida.
This would make a good paper if one could collect the pollinators.

Tom 

Tom Croat, P. A. Schulze Curator of Botany 
Missouri Botanical Garden
Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri 63116
(314) 577-5163
T*@mobot.org
Please send images to our FTP Server.
ftp://garfile:garden2003@cissus.mobot.org/incoming/croat
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-----Original Message-----
From: aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com
[aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com] On Behalf Of Julius Boos
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 7:02 PM
To: aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
Subject: [Aroid-l] Syngonium setting seed in S. Florida

>From : 	Tom Croat T*@mobot.org
Reply-To : 	Discussion of aroids aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
Sent : 	Monday, March 26, 2007 9:10 PM
To : 	"Discussion of aroids" aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
Subject : 	RE: [Aroid-l] Syngonium

Dear Eric and Tom,

Just FYI, a few years ago when Vic Soukup was looking for seed of
Syngongium 
podophyllum, I happened to be working for a Company with an office on
the W. 
of  side h/way 441 (State Road 7) just S. of Boynton Beach Blvd. in
Delrey 
Beach, Florida.   This area borders the Everglades.  There was a stand
of 
Cypress trees  on the South side of the property on which many
introduced S. 
podophyllum had grown, and I believe around mid- or late summer, many of

these climbers had produced a substantial number of ripe and opening
fruit 
on them!   I managed to collect for Vic, but with some difficulty
(because 
of the height of these climbers, about 15-20 ft. up) a fairly large
number 
of mature seed of these aroids, and with more effort and time could have

collected even more.
I GUESS there is some pollinator in the area??
Also of interest, a friend who has a nursery nearby, and who has HUGE
plants 
of Montrichardia cf. linnifera which he grew from seed I gave him ex. 
Trinidad, W.I. many years ago, has had his 15'-tall plants bloom, AND to
our 
delight, set and produce large numbers of viable seed!
I understand that in nature (in S. America) that this plant is
pollinated by 
large bees, so I wonder what is happening in S. Florida re:
potential/actual 
pollinators!

The Best,

Julius