Alocasia sanderiana var nobilis

I set eyes on my first Alocasia sanderiana var nobilis at a private gardener's collection more than 10 years ago. I thought I had been impressing the veteran with my incessant botanical mumbo jumbo until I saw the plant and dismissed it as plastic .... this was almost the "most humble day of my life" ....

This mother of all Alocasia x amazonica was first described by W. Bull in 1884 from specimens collected in The Phillippines. Some believed its white venations and dissected leaves may serve to enhance a "tattered" look and makes it less appealing to potential diners.

From a horticulture point of view, the wild plant is certainly more impressive and eye-catching than the hybrid - which makes you wonder why bother. However, its also more temperamental. Like many wild Alocasias, it has a worrying habit of going dormant...sometimes seemingly forever.

The wild plant is now very rare - in fact, it is officially critcally endangered, since its natural habitat is reduced to 2 lowland localities in Mindanao which are subjected to deforestation and human enroachment. Tissue cultured plants are available occasionally but they are definitely less common than its hybrid.