[pbs] Dracunculus vulgaris
Paul T.
ptyerman at ozemail.com.au
Tue Jun 9 06:57:23 EDT 2009
>
> In Crete there are populations with white / cream/ yellow
>spathes that are very lovely, but still stinky.
> Under prime conditions it can reach to 7 ft in height. I
>suppose with a proportionately large , proportionally stinky flower.
>And finally there are some variants with well marked silvery
>'chevrons' on the leaflets and others with plain green leaves.
>
Jim et al,
And don't forget the related Dracunculus canariensis. It is a much
more slender flower in white, without the markings etc on the leaves
but still with a similar leaf shape (although the leaves are also
more slender). I saw it in person a few years ago and loved it. I
think my plant is finally to flowering size, so hopefully I can share
pics of it later this year. It has now started offsetting a bit too,
which is nice, as for a couple of years it was only a single plant
and I was a bit paranoid about losing it. I don't know whether it
has the same smell or not, as I wasn't there when my friend's one
opened a few years ago. It didn't smell when I saw it, but that
doesn't mean it wasn't pongy before that.
Worst smell I've come across so far from the aroids I have grown is
actually Typhonium brownii. Best described as a dead possum, much
worse than the Arum diosoridis and Dracunculus.... in my climate at
least. <grin> I'd love to see a pure white Drac vulgaris though, as
it would be so different to that mahogany mammoth that we're used to.
Cheers.
Paul T.
Canberra, Australia - USDA Zone Equivalent approx. 8/9
Growing an eclectic collection of plants from all over the world
including Aroids, Crocus, Cyclamen, Erythroniums, Fritillarias,
Galanthus, Irises, Trilliums (to name but a few) and just about
anything else that doesn't move!!
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