bigdog

Can't remember the exact species name of this alocasia, might be macrorrhiza. This variegated alocasia is more consistent than alocasia macrorrhiza variegata. The new leaves unfurl a golden color, before changing to green and white. Very nice EE, I should have one next Spring! This plant is located at the same nursery, Blooms, in Nashville, TN, as some of the other plants I have posted.

Southern-Grower

k

hve pm for ya !!

__________________
Happy Growing,

SG

Enjoy Life as it's too Short

RobG7aChattTN

Hey Frank! Check it out on the Plant Delight's website. Wether it is or not, it looks pretty much just like it and Colocasia 'Yellow Splash' is supposed to be zone 7 hardy. Better yet, if it is zone 7 hardy I'll have some to trade/sell/give away this coming fall. I bought one at the SEPalms meeting the winter before this most recent. I actuallly sold some a pup at the meeting in Chattanooga (sold it as soon as I opened the back of my van). I've got several and they spread like crazy. I mulched them well and we had a mild winter, so...

bigdog

It's definitely not the same plant. The Alocasia that I have has new leaves that emerge gold-colored in the "white" areas, then gradually change to pure white. That's a nice one though! Save me a pup...

SG...haven't forgotten you!

Lilith

I've had this plant for years and years. Its a variegated form of Alocasia odora and is commonly called Alocasia aurea. It differs from A. macrohizza albo-variegata in that the variegation is green and yellow, not green-white-silver, and in the leaf form, which is rounder and more pleated than macrorhizza. The plant is also initially much smaller in stature, and eventually develops a trunk. Its hardy to at least zone 8, possibly warmer zone 7 with protection.

__________________
11/2008 Outer Banks Marathon 26.2, Kitty Hawk NC--3:50
2/2009 5 Points of Life Marathon, 26.2, Gainesville FL--4:00
4/2009 Boston Marathon, 26.2-- 4:38
10/2009 Marine Corps Marathon, DC, 26.2--457
1/2010 Houston Marathon, 26.2--3:55:09
2/2010 5 Points of Life Marathon, Gainesville--415
Halloween Day 2010 Marine Corps Marathon, DC--
2/2011--Austin TX Marathon--

Lilith

Just a note that some of you may find interesting or not, if not, file in the "circular" file...
The plant trade market is a pretty cut throat one. There are actually very few bona fide "NEW" plants that come onto the marketplace each year. There are fewer and fewer people actually going out to faraway places and "collecting" new species for propagation and eventual introduction to the mainstream commercial plant trade. Largely this is because its just too expensive to do anymore, and secondly its because of the ever increasing amounts of red tape involved in overseas collecting and importing due to Agricultural and other regulations. Most of the variegated forms of plants are either "sports" which occurred naturally, were separated out and propogated and found to retain a stable variegation, or they are due to manmade introduction of something like a plant virus that causes an intentional mutation and variegation is a result of this.

The other bad thing about "NEW" plants is, they are not always really "NEW". The colocasia sold as "Milky Way" or "Elepaio" depending on where you see it is not new, although it is relatively new to the ornamental plant trade. "Elepaio" was the name given to this plant by Hawaiians aeons ago, this taro was a commonly grown food crop in Hawaii for decades but somehow was only recently discovered as an "ornamental" for the garden.

The alocasia aurea that is now being called "sp. Golden" has been around for years, but was rare. Its also marketed by another well known exotic plant nursery under the name "Alocasia Seven Colors". Probably neither "Golden" or "Seven Colors" are registered accepted cultival names. They are just marketing names, and if one isn;t careful, one may end up buying the exact same (usually expensive) plant two or even three times under different market trade names.

Alocasia odora is a very old cultivar of alocasia and is a different species from Alocasia macrorhizza. Some people believe that "odora" and "californicia" are the same species. There is another form called "Persian Palm" that looks like an intermediate cross between odora and macrorhizza. There are 2 variegated forms, the green and yellow, and a pure green and white which is much more rare and has the name "Okinawa Silver" attached to it.

Unless you are a botanist, taxonomist, or other plant scientist, the general rule of thumb on telling the difference between an alocasia and a colocasia uses only a couple of criteria: leaf sheen and leaf orientation.
Alocasias are, as a rule, GLOSSY. COlocasias are, as a general rule, MATTE. There are 2 exceptions to the colocasia sheen rule: C. fontanessii, and the colocasia now commonly known as "Coffee Cups/Tea Cups/Big Dipper" which are glossy.

The leaf orientation has to do with where the stem attaches to the leaf, thus making the leaf point more UP ( most ALocasias) or DOWN (colocasias and Xanthosomas)

Further, leaf shape is also a delineator but to a lesser extent.

Here are a few photos of some of mine.
Alocasia aurea ("sp Golden, Seven Colors")

And again:

Three different colocasias: Elepaio (green and white), Yellow SPlash (Yellow and white) Black Marble
Elepaio and Yellow Splash

Yellow SPlash alone

Elepaio (aka Milky Way) alone
[IMG]http://www.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/MilkyWay2006.jpg
[/IMG]
And a variegated form of Xanthosoma saggitifolia just for fun

__________________
11/2008 Outer Banks Marathon 26.2, Kitty Hawk NC--3:50
2/2009 5 Points of Life Marathon, 26.2, Gainesville FL--4:00
4/2009 Boston Marathon, 26.2-- 4:38
10/2009 Marine Corps Marathon, DC, 26.2--457
1/2010 Houston Marathon, 26.2--3:55:09
2/2010 5 Points of Life Marathon, Gainesville--415
Halloween Day 2010 Marine Corps Marathon, DC--
2/2011--Austin TX Marathon--

mrbungalow

Jeeeze Lilith! You know about the plant-trade!

__________________

Lilith

I owned a nursery for a few years. It pays to know what you are buying. Research is the key to not getting ripped off.

__________________
11/2008 Outer Banks Marathon 26.2, Kitty Hawk NC--3:50
2/2009 5 Points of Life Marathon, 26.2, Gainesville FL--4:00
4/2009 Boston Marathon, 26.2-- 4:38
10/2009 Marine Corps Marathon, DC, 26.2--457
1/2010 Houston Marathon, 26.2--3:55:09
2/2010 5 Points of Life Marathon, Gainesville--415
Halloween Day 2010 Marine Corps Marathon, DC--
2/2011--Austin TX Marathon--

bigdog

Nice EEs. I have to disagree though, after looking carefully at your pics and then at mine again, that they are indeed two different cultivars. The leaves on yours keep the yellow variegation. The leaves on the cultivar that I have emerge yellow, then turn to pure white. Take another look at the picture I posted, and you will easily see the difference.

Thanks for all the information! I made a trade for this plant, and was quite happy with it. You certainly do know your EEs, Lilith. Some are also using gamma radiation to induce mutations, not just with EEs, but bananas as well. I expect we will have some strange-looking plants come to light in the next ten years or so.

Lilith

Actually, Big Dog, from your photo, I can't tell that yours is pure white. It must be my eyes, which are not as good as they used to be LOL. If yours truly IS white, with no yellow, it is probably the "Okinawa Silver" form of variegated odora.

__________________
11/2008 Outer Banks Marathon 26.2, Kitty Hawk NC--3:50
2/2009 5 Points of Life Marathon, 26.2, Gainesville FL--4:00
4/2009 Boston Marathon, 26.2-- 4:38
10/2009 Marine Corps Marathon, DC, 26.2--457
1/2010 Houston Marathon, 26.2--3:55:09
2/2010 5 Points of Life Marathon, Gainesville--415
Halloween Day 2010 Marine Corps Marathon, DC--
2/2011--Austin TX Marathon--

SilkKnoll

With several very informed posts in this thread, no one has nailed the ID....

Big Dog, what you have is a white variegated Alocasia gageana, or A. gageana albo-variegata. A. gageana is sold as odora more often than it is offered under its own name. Gageana's leaves are very similar to those of a young odora, which is a much larger species (not a cultivar). The leaves of gageana top out at about one foot, while odora leaves can get immense -- six feet or more atop a massive trunk. Gageana also tends to form dense clumps of plants, while odora will throw pups, but there's no mistaking the mom.

To add to the confusion, some have started using the name Alocasia californica for gageana. I don't think it's a legitimate name taxonomically, but folks identify with it -- it's easier to remember than gageana. From that came the hybrid of gageana and odora which is called Alocasia calidora (or calodora), and this is the one known as Persian Palm. It basically looks like a smaller odora.

I hope this helps clear things up a little.

It you get more than one pup of that variegated gageana, please keep me in mind. It's one I don't have yet.

Robert