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beachplant

A. bulbifer

beachplant
17 years ago

I've grown one of these for awhile in the back yard. It remains one big bulb. I bought some last year from B&B, nice big bulbs. They sprouted, got potted up and sent up multiple stalks/leaves over the summer. When I dug them up instead of one big bulb I had multiple bulbs. The remnant of the big bulb was there. Some were 3-5 large bulbs, some were multiple little bulbs and some were a mix of big and little bulbs, together they were bigger than the one bulb I had planted.

So, my question, what happened to these things? I've never had any other amorph do this. I won't be getting any blooms this year but should have a nice crop of plants. Any ideas? Dan?

Tally HO!

Comments (3)

  • houstonpat
    17 years ago

    It's been my experience that the old bulbs 'disolve' and new bulbs form from the existing root structures. I have seen many variations on bulb multiplication. Some divide, some just get bigger. This division pattern also takes place on my A paeonifolius.

  • bluebonsai101
    17 years ago

    What you describe is absolutely normal for a species like paeoniifolius, but not for bulbifer. That is, paeoniifolius might easily produce multiple offsets and some of these might even grow a petiole with a nice long season. If it is an immature tuber then you often get multiple petioles, but in the end still one larger tuber. If the main growing point was damaged then it will produce many new growing points and you could get what you describe. Are you certain it is bulbifer....B&B is not exactly a reliable source for things like Amorphs...they are sort of a pretty posy site in general, not a specialist nursery. Bulbifer does not produce offsets underground if it is happy and not producing multiple growths from a single tuber. Did the petiole have a bulbil in the leaf axis like it is supposed to for this species?? I'd ask about the petiole but that is meaningless for this species as there are huge variations in the pattern for this guy!! Bulbifer can easily flower from a 3" diameter tuber so if you have any that large you might be surprised and get an influorescence this March or so. Sounds like a happy bunch of tubers regardless in your hands so best of luck with them :o) Dan

  • beachplant
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    I was ordering some other stuff from B&B & these were cheap. Very surprised how big the bulbs were, at least as big as my fist.
    Yes the petiole had a bulbil in the leaf axis. You're right the petioles varied from bulb to bulb. Every bulb sprouted multiple petioles from multiple locations, some pots looked like I had 5-6 bulbs planted in there, very pretty actually.
    Some of the bulbs are 3" or greater.
    I was wondering if all the rain we had this year had caused this. Several times we had rainfall of over 10" and several times 4-8" fell. LOTS of rain this year. Thanks to your mix though they drained well.
    The paeonifolius are at least twice the size they started & most of the konjacs grew leaps and bounds.
    Thanks for the information!! Can't wait to see them all growing this year, gotta go get more & bigger pots!
    Tally HO!

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