A Neotropical Savanna

In June we experienced a record rainfall of 43 inches. The previous record was 41 inches and the average for this area is 22 inches in June. Here’s a graph of the erratic 2010 rainfall (red line) compared to a 16-year average (blue line).

Back in May, I noted the early blooming of Miconia rubiginosa after the heavy rains in April.

Now, in July, I’ve seen two plants in bloom that I normally see bloom in August: a tree with large bunches of yellow flowers, Senna hayesiana, and a miniature relative of the Elephant Ear herb, Xanthosoma mexicanum. I’m also seeing flower buds on an unidentified Miconia that usually blooms in September. I’m sure more’s going on along this line than I’m seeing.

Maybe these large swings in time of blooming are relatively normal for the tropics. But I’m starting to think that it’s more than coincidence that different plants from three unrelated families (Senna = Fabaceae or bean family, Xanthosoma = Araceae or arum family, Miconia = Melastomataceae or “black mouth” family)  are blooming immediately after uncommonly large monthly rainfalls.

On a recent morning walk to a corner of the orchard I had not visited recently, I nearly stumbled over a small white flower.

The morning sunlight shone through the hood, making a glow like candle-light.

Hoping it might be easy to identify, I ran to my borrowed copy of the Flora of Panama Checklist and Index and looked up Arum – the jack-in-the-pulpit genus – and found four species. It did not take long to discover that this plant was none of the four species listed. So, being impatient and eager to get on with the ID, I turned to friend Carla, who did a little research and then turned to her friend Marianne, and behold we had a name – Xanthosoma mexicanum, previously known as Xanthosoma pilosa.

Sometimes (maybe I should say often) plant identification is just a matter of knowing who to turn to for help!

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