Dracunculus vulgaris

Paul T. ptyerman@ozemail.com.au
Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:57:23 PDT
>
>         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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