Re: Painter's Palette was: one more plant id
- To:
- Subject: Re: Painter's Palette was: one more plant id
- From: M* T*
- Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 03:35:46 -0400
Well, gang, I have just spent several hours in the maze of taxonomy.
When I read Shelly's post, I thought to myself that there might be
another "Tovara" out there. Indeed there is, but the maroon chevron
mentioned is typical of 'Painter's Palette'; the other one has no
chevron and is, I believe, ´Variegata´ with no chevron. Shelly, if
yours has absolutely no variegation except the chevron, then it isn't
'Painter's Palette'...am thinking it might be the species, but the
photos I've see of that have a plain green leaf with no chevron and
the flowers are white. Anybody else know of another variety of
cultivar with a chevron but no cream variegation?
This image on the web is pretty typical of 'Painter's Palette',
although my plants seem to exhibit a larger maroon chevron than this
shows, plus the light cream blotches are larger on some leaves:
http://www.uaex.edu/newsweb/images/Paintcol.jpg
*However*....guess what? Tovara seems to be out of favor again,
although it is a validly published name in 1763. Most of the
taxonomic databases come up blank when searched for 'Tovara'.
It is definitely a member of the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae...no
reference questions that.
However, it appears it is more correctly known by Polygonum
virginianum and the synonym is Persicaria virginiana. From the
listing in GRIN, I gather that Polygonum might have won out because
it was published in 1753 whereas Persicaria wasn't published until
1791.
To make it even more interesting, BONAP lists the following:
" Polygonum virginianum L. Present in the Texas flora and known
locally as: Jumpseed Synonymy: Antenoron virginianum (L.) Roberty &
Vautier , Persicaria virginiana (L.) Gaertn. , Polygonum virginianum
var. glaberrimum (Fern.) Steyermark , Tovara virginiana (L.) Raf. ,
Tovara virginiana var. glaberrima Fern. "
Ack!
Since the name seems to have been in flux for some time, it is listed
by most nurseries as either
Tovara virginianum 'Painter's Palette'
or
Persicaria virginiana 'Painter's Palette'
Some will put (Polygonum virginianum) in parens next to whichever
name they are calling it.
A few are still listing it by Tovara.
The common name for the species according to GRIN is Virginia
knotweed. GRIN lists their source for that as Webster's Dictionary!
While the botanical name seems to change as soon as you learn
whichever one you use, common names don't help much.....Jumpseed in
Texas and VA knotweed in GRIN and goodness only knows what somewhere
else.
As far as cultural needs. Whichever it is, the species prefers moist
soil in part shade but will tolerate drier conditions. Bloom is late
summer - description is apt. Will seed around, seed being carried by
fur, feathers and clothing. Also spreads, according to Russ Bragg,
via roots, but mine isn't doing this too rapidly.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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> From: Pavlacky@cs.com
> Date: Monday, July 17, 2000 2:04 PM
>
> One more, if you please!
>
> I bought a plant at a plant sale--no tag, great foliage.
> I saw the same plant at a garden in a garden tour this weekend, and
asked
> what it was. The woman there said it was Tovara. WHat? Never
heard of it.
> It's not in any of my books, but I found one picture of Tovara
"Painters
> Palette" on the Net. Doesn't look like it at all.
> Lime green leaves with a maroon "chevron" type design (or upside
down V) in
> the middle of an ordinary 4"ovate leaf. Stems are kind of woody at
the base
> and spreads in a clumping fashion. Gets about 18" tall, apparently
likes
> shade, wilts when dry. THe woman said hers blooms tiny red
flowers spaced
> out on long grasslike wands. Must bloom later than this time,
because it
> hasn't bloomed yet. It has beautiful foliage, and I'd like to know
its care
> requirements. I know I've seen this plant somewhere before in one
of the
> many books I've looked through, and I'm sure it's not some rare
specimen.
> Help!
>
>
> Thanks,
> Shelly Pavlacky
>
>
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