13 replies to this topic

[An D Smith]

Hi Aroid fans

To follow Aidans' excellent post on A. thunbergii, here are a few pics of Arisaema nepenthoides.

The species is frost tender and reaches a height of around five and a half feet. Only two leaves are produced and the flower is supposed to have the smell of pond water, whatever that may mean!?

I overwinter the bulbs dry and frost-free in the greenhouse and plant up when there are signs of life in early April. Once the plant has flowered I stand it outside for the rest of the season until it dies down in the autumn.

Despite the name, I always thought it looked more like a Sarracenia than a Nepenthes.











Cheers
Andy

[schimatrix]

very nice Andy! :)
giu

[Sockhom]

Spectacular plant Andy !

It reminds me some Heliamphora species (tatei or neblinae for exemple).
The stem is beautiful and almost... eerie. It looks like a reptile skin.


Friendly,

François.

[Rob-Rah]

Quote

The species is frost tender

I have had mine planted out in SW London in a shady corner of my garden for around 5 years now with various other species! However, I am considering taking up and potting the Arisaema ones that don't do as well in the open soil. Some are fine there, some I feel would do better in pots... Although this one does flower fine out of doors it never reaches more than a couple of feet. All the Arisaema I have tried outdoors have been fine there, but have been planted deeeeeeeep. Over a foot in most circumstances. This offers fairly secure frost-protection.

The stem can have a lovely milky-chocolate brown colour. Very snake-like.

Cheers.

[Ian Salter]

Very unusual, But do you mind if I enquire what this plant is growing at my allotment site? (photo taken last year)

Thanks and hope you don't mind.

[An D Smith]

Hi Ian

The plant you have pictured is commonly known as Lords and Ladies, or Cuckoopint, or Jack in the Pulpit or a whole host of other, mostly old geographic names. The latin name is Arum maculatum and there appears to be at least two forms. Some have dark-red spots on the leaves and others (like yours) do not. I remember English Nature or some other proffesional body was doing a survey a few years ago to find out the extent of the two forms.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers
Andy

[Rob-Rah]

I love the slightly ghostly quality of the flowers of lords and ladies in spring in the woods. There are some nicely variegated names cultivars around too.

[Ian Salter]

An D Smith said:

Hi Ian

The plant you have pictured is commonly known as Lords and Ladies, or Cuckoopint, or Jack in the Pulpit or a whole host of other, mostly old geographic names. The latin name is Arum maculatum and there appears to be at least two forms. Some have dark-red spots on the leaves and others (like yours) do not. I remember English Nature or some other proffesional body was doing a survey a few years ago to find out the extent of the two forms.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers
Andy

Thanks for that I've been wondering for a while as it just popped up last year for the first time (unless I'd strimmed it before and not noticed).
Very informative, Cheers

[Sweep]

I love the first photo, it's intriguing! It's like there's a pair of lizards morphing into the branch! Wow!
Thanks for sharing.
Gill.


edited once for spelling. (My husband was intrigued by my original spelling of intriguing. i.e. intriuging )

[chesara]

Hi Andy
Was that from the very large tuber you had when i visited ??
  Bye for now  Julian

[Jonathan]

What a fantastic species. The genus is one that coudl easily become as addictive and collectable as Sarracenia.

[An D Smith]

Hi Julian

Quote

Was that from the very large tuber you had when i visited ??

I think the tuber you saw was Amorphophallus konjac, about the size of a small pumpkin. This still has not come up yet and I am still hoping it may flower this year. The tuber for the Arisaema is about 5" across.

Cheers
Andy