(Click on the photos to see them enlarged)
I obtained this from
Home Depot, of all places. I've been calling it Alocasia micholitziana for
over a year but have been assured that it is not. I had heard that it was difficult
to keep alive. It is not. I guess I've been pretty wrong about it in
general. I managed to keep it over the winter on a kitchen counter which
received some direct sunlight for about an hour a day. The room stayed warm and so
apparently preserved the plant. It actually grew quite well despite the short light
period. It's now putting out large leaves and has two offsets growing. It's
apparently far less tender than it's reported to be.
There's controversy about the name of the plant. Some insist that it's Alocasia
micholitziana. Others call it micholitziana "Frydek" and yet others insist
it's just Alocasia "Frydek". I'm choosing to call it Alocasia
micholitiziana "Frydek" for the following reason:
No one has indicated that this is a cross. If that's the case, then it needs a species name. On the other hand, if the wild occurring plant is difficult to raise and someone named "Frydek" identified a variety that's easier to grow, then I'm willing to give Mr., Mrs., or Dr. Frydek the due credit.