Re: bamboo
Barry Garcia wrote:
>
> salvia@nr.infi.net writes:
> >Moira
> >
> >I believe there are some Agaves (Century plant) that behave similarly
> >(they
> >are also spectacular in bloom, I understand, or is it the rarity of the
> >display?)
> >
> >Comments, anyone?
>
> Well the most spectacular monocarpic plant I have heard of is Corypha
> umbraculifera, or the Talipot palm. It's from India and all of it's life
> is spent saving up the energy to bloom. Once it does it sends up what I
> hear is the largest Inflorsecence , and then dies when the fruit ripens.
> there is a picture of one in bloom here:
> http://www.plantapalm.com/vpe/photos/Species/Pics/corypha_umbraculifera1.JPG
Although not so striking as this, even agaves can look pretty exciting
with their tall poles all beset with flowers. Trouble is they die
equally spectactularly and leave you with a gross mound of brown prickly
foliage to dispose of. At least one of the people in this suburb who had
one flower years ago apparently baulked at tackling the removal, and the
wreck still sits in the middle of the lawn slowly mouldering away.
Curiously, unlke most of the Agaves I have seen this one did not give
rise to any "pups" during its dying throes.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata,
New Zealand (astride the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
