Possibly Xanthosoma sagittifolium. http://www.chiquita.com/naturecommunity/FloraAndFauna/Slides/Flora/Slide%2003.asp But also could be Alocasia macrorrhiza. http://www.giardinaggio.it/appartamento/singolepiante/Alocasia/alocasia.asp
Thank you Rosemarie. Does anyone know a Great web site to get particulars about a plant - like sun, shade, soil, zone, dividing, etc.?? I'm going to a plant exchange on Saturday and need to identify each of my plants with particular information, but yet just basic, easy reading.
Rosemarie - I think my plant looks more like the second site you gave me, unfortunately it's not in English and I can not understand it. Is there another site or a way to put it in english? Thanks again for your help!!!
That name is the scientific name. It's latin. They use it because it is same for speakers of every language. Just google the scientific name and you will find TONS of common names for a plant. That is why people use the scientific names for IDs.
erm, globalist, the whole site is in, what looks like spanish, not english...just search Alocasia macrorrhiza or you could try elephants ears.
The link I gave to the site for Alocasia macrorrhiza was the one with the best photo I could find (quickly). The latin name of the plant, as globalist pointed out, can be Googled (or searched via another search engine), without having to know the foreign language at that site (which happens to be Italian). The botanical name is the same in every language. If you would like to translate what is written there, you can use this site: http://world.altavista.com/
Thank you to all of you - you helped me out a lot with my first question to the Botanical Forum!!!!! Hopefully someday I'll be able to help you, too. Thanks!
Daisy, if the plant swap you are going to is for houseplants, you should find this site helpful. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/interiorscape/gallery/index.html Newt
how could i have got it so wrong, such different looking languages oO learning the latin for all the plants has just about filled up what little capacity i had ;P
The photo is dark but the plant appears to be Alocasia gageana. Alocasia macrorrhiza is an enormous plant with much longer and broader leaves that are more elongated. Although similar, Xanthosoma species are also quite different than alocasias. Try looking up A. gageana on the internet. Aroidia Research has a good data base of these plants and has given me great responses when I'm trying to ID plants of this group for my website. Alocasia gageana has several growth forms and is used commonly as a landscape plant in South Florida. I have both forms in my atrium and one reaches about 8 feet while the other reaches only about 4 feet.
Thanks Steve, You are exactly right - it is a Alocasia gageana, and that research site is nice. Thanks, again. Is Elephant Ear the common name for this also? Daisy
The term elephant ear is used for all sorts of plants with this growth form of which there are many. Nothing wrong with that but I personally feel is it an overused term. The plants are divided into various groups (alocasia, colocasia, xanthosoma and others) based on their structure which may include the way the petiole (stem) joins the leaf blade and at what location it joins. But there are many factors. The Aroidia site can be very useful. If I can assist you in finding a name feel free to shoot me a personal note via this website's personal message service. I've got a descent size collection of tropicals and orchids.... in Arkansas of all places! Steve
