FistulinaHepatica
Full Member
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue May 17, 2011 11:10 pm
Location: Calgary, Alberta

Dioscorea elephantipes -- Hottentot's Bread

Caudex vine plant native of South Africa.

https://www.bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/subs/dio-ele-sub.asp

What a mature specimen should look like (not mine, credit to bihrmann):

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Xerophytes/dio-ele.jpg[/img]

I started a few (5 or 6) seeds in a domed container at the end of June, in succulent soil mix:perlite 50:50 and left it in outdoors in the shade and let rainwater soak it. It's been pretty mixed weather with sunny days reaching 30 deg C, or rain (10-15 deg C) and cool nights (sometimes single digits C). The dome keeps the air in there nice and moist on the driest days.

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Xerophytes/DSCN2412.jpg[/img]

I simply ignored it - just occasionally checking to see if I need to remoisten the soil mix. Yesterday I was checking a bit more attentively (fungus check -- compulsory for moist set-ups!) and lo and behold, a hatchling!

You can see the start of a caudex forming at the base of the seedling. It's about 4-5mm along it's longest axis of the visible plant. The root is pretty deep already. The seed capsule is right next to it.

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Xerophytes/DSCN2815.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Xerophytes/DSCN2816.jpg[/img]

Will gradually reduce the moisture and eventually repot the seedlings when it (hopely, they) go dormant.

I wonder how long will it take to get from a wee hatchling to this nice strapping lad:

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Xerophytes/dio-ele-rof.jpg[/img]

Green Mantis
Greener Thumb
Posts: 931
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 6:52 pm
Location: Alberta, Canada zone 1a

That's fantastic :clap: I sure hope it grows nice and big, without taking too many years. :) You have an incredible way with seeds, congrats. :D

FistulinaHepatica
Full Member
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue May 17, 2011 11:10 pm
Location: Calgary, Alberta

Update on the Dioscorea elephantipes. Decided to name him "Steve" after Steve Biko.

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Xerophytes/DSCN2950.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Xerophytes/DSCN2949.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Xerophytes/DSCN2948.jpg[/img]

The tiny leaf is about 0.5cm wide and 0.6 cm long.

Supposedly it goes through it's most active growth phase in Fall and Winter and go dormant in the summer -- which was why I was greatly surprised to have it hatch in the summer. Maybe with all the rain and cool evenings Steve decided to wake up out of season.

His fellow nursery mates (2 other D. elephantipes seeds) perished though. Some mould managed to nom it's way through the germ and made the whole seeds squishy.

Green Mantis
Greener Thumb
Posts: 931
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 6:52 pm
Location: Alberta, Canada zone 1a

Congrats on 'steve', he's looking good. Hopefully all will keep going well with him. Looks like a really interesting plant. :wink:

I have an awful lot of weird cacti seeds, we must share, and see if one of us can get them growing. :D

FistulinaHepatica
Full Member
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue May 17, 2011 11:10 pm
Location: Calgary, Alberta

My Dioscorea elephantipes overwintered indoors under a "all spectrum fluorescent bulb" from Alzo Digital really well.

It has grown a bit over the winter months instead of going dormant. He's now a handsome two leaves wee lad:

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/DSCN3696.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/DSCN3695.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/DSCN3697.jpg[/img]

Sorry for the silence folks, but I was a bit poorly over the winter myself, so I had to stay away from the laptop for a bit.



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