Identification: An assortment of high quality, unknown, plants

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by urglefloggah, Jan 30, 2009.

  1. urglefloggah

    urglefloggah Member

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    Howdy. The first two seem to be new world desert plants; the second may be a variety of prickly pear. The 3rd is either colocasia or alocasia. #4 looks like a kind of bromeliad, but I can't be sure. I'll post more later; gotta run. Thanks in advance.
     

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  2. Lila Pereszke

    Lila Pereszke Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    1. Mammillaria sp.
    2. Opuntia sp.
     
  3. saltcedar

    saltcedar Rising Contributor 10 Years

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  4. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    #3 looks more like a Xanthosoma to me... Could be a big Alocasia, but the lack of fusion in the posterior lobes makes me think otherwise...
     
  5. urglefloggah

    urglefloggah Member

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    Lorax, I honestly can't distinguish between the xanthosomas I found on the web and what I recognize as alocasia. Can you explain the difference?

    Here are some more.
     

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  6. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Urglefloggah - Xanthosomas generally have separate posterior lobes, rather than ones that are fused together at the base, giving the leaves a characteristic arrowhead shape; Alocasia (at least the bulk of the species I'm familiar with) are at least partially fused towards the junction of the petiole and the leaf, giving them a characteristic heart shape.

    The plant in my attachment is a Xanthosoma commonly known in Ecuador as "Pelma" and grown as a food crop alongside Alocasia; compare using GIS to Alocasia to see what I'm talking about.
     

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  7. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    That leaf is about two inches shorter than me, which makes it about 5'10" long.

    Oh, and Urglefloggah - the fourth plant in your second posting is Colocasia esculenta - Taro root.

    Number 2 is likely an Aloe, but not a species I'm familiar with; Number 3 is likely a Haworthia of some description. If you repost them to the Cacti and Succulents forum, you'll likely get specific answers from the cactus and succulent experts.
     

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