Re: Stromanthe... now taxonomists

Well, it keeps them employed, I guess. Guess I'd be more upset if I sold plant labels. Recently heard an interesting tale on another list about two genuses of tropical fruit--Garcinia and Rheedia, Garcinia was the Old World genus and Rheedia the New World genus that were very similar, and after squabbling for many years, the taxonomists have agreed [for now, at least] that they are the same genus. I have a Garcinia laterafolia growing in my front patio; doubt if it cares much what I call it as long as I feed and water it.

On Sunday, December 12, 2004, at 11:29 AM, Kitty wrote:

Funny you should mention that Donna. Asters are the latest thing on the hit
list - most have been transferred to Eurybia or Symphyotrichum. New England
Aster (such as 'Alma Potschke') is now Symphyotrichum novae-angliae; the
White Wood Aster, pka Aster divaricatus, is now Eurybia divaricata.

Kitty

----- Original Message -----
From: "Donna" <gossiper@sbcglobal.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, December 11, 2004 8:39 PM
Subject: RE: [CHAT] Stromanthe sanguinea "Tricolor"


Can't say I know a darn thing about your plant.. but it sure is pretty! :)

I also would like to comment on plant names. It absolutely drives me
insane
that they keep changing them. I understand that now a days the DNA proves
it
no longer belongs in that family or other reasons. But I really feel that
the once 'proper' botanical or latin name are getting just as bad as
common
names. Everyone is calling the same plant by another name as the
population
learns its new 'proper' name. Sorry Kitty, but I just don't have the time
to
keep up on every name change like you do, and I appreciate the fact that
you
do and keep us informed.

So the underlining thought process here... are they messing with us, like
OH.. (as you look at the entry in a catalog).. this must be some new
offering and I should buy it.... marketing... hum...


Donna

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On
Behalf Of james singer
Sent: Saturday, December 11, 2004 3:14 PM
To: Chat
Subject: [CHAT] Stromanthe sanguinea "Tricolor"

I had one of those fun mornings. We've got a cold front blowing
through, so I spent much of the AM right here trying to ID a plant.
It's a plant that someone convinced our retail folks that it's a
ginger--Peppermint Ginger, they call it. The nursery people put some in
a big pot in the landscape office atrium. I suppose to acquaint the
landscape sales-design staff with it. Fortunately, or not, I recognized
the plant.

My first wife's father was a house plant grower in Southern California
and for the 2 years preceding his death, I was his salesman. This was
one of the plants he grew; the 1902 edition of Bailey's "Cyclopedia of
Horticulture" [our only reference] called it Maranta tricolor.There are
significant differences between the Marantaecae and Zingberaceae
families.

It's no longer Maranta tricolor--and, I guess, hasn't been for a long
time; at least I didn't find any listings for that name. But I sure
took the grand tour of the Calathea and Maranta genuses looking for,
first, photos and, second, plant societies. I found no photos that
resembled the plant and no plant societies. Finally it dawned on me
[duh] to go to Dave's Garden's data base and search on "Marantaecae"
because that data base includes family names and many, if not most,
entries have pictures.

Well, it did, and the match was simple. Like, Eureka! It's new moniker
is "Stromanthe sanguinea 'Tricolor'." So I added my picture to the data
base. If you'd like to see it, it can be accessed at

http://davesgarden.com/pdb/showimage/61454/

The cultural requirements for the plant are scary--no sun, no temps
below 60, lots of humidity. A ginger it's not. But stunning under the
right conditions, it is.

I don't know if there's a picture of it in A2Z [mine's at work], but if
it is it will be interesting to see what it has to say about it;
there's also a plain-jane green one with darker green markings.

Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.0 N, 82.4 W
Zone 10a
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]

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Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.0 N, 82.4 W
Zone 10a
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]

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