International Aroid Society

[hydrophyte]

I had the opportunity to attend the International Aroid Society (IAS) Show and Sale this past weekend in Miami, FL. I had a great time and saw a lot of cool plants.

The term "aroid" is in reference to plants of Family Araceae, which are characterized by blooms comprised of a hood like spathe enclosing or surrounding a cigar-shaped spadix. Tow very popular kinds of aquarium plants, members of the genera Anubias and Cryptocoryne, are aroids. Araceae includes many other interesting semi-aquatic plants, such as certain Spathiphyllum, Lasia, Zantedeschia and various taros.

The IAS society members at the show were all very friendly and had a great deal of knowledge about aroids and other plants. The group has a pretty active and information-packed email list-serve, Aroid-L, which is also a friendly forum. I highly recommend checking out the IAS site. It is a great organization to join if you like plants.

Aroid.org



Colocasia fallax, an emergent aquatic aroid.

[hydrophyte]

Seriously, do check out the International Aroid Society if you haven't followed the link there yet. It really is a cool organization. Participation in the group offers the opportunity to meet the really friendly members and see acquire rare and unique aroid plants.

Here is a picture of the garden pond there at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, which is where the IAS holds its show & sale every year. There is an emergent aquatic aroid, Lasia spinosa (arrow) growing in the pond.



Image credit: Theodore Held

[markopolo]

cool stuff,

at first i thought Aroid meant

Alex Rodriguez, Arod + steroids = Aroid

[hydrophyte]

That's funny you say that because I have more than once caught myself almost saying "my roids" in reference to my aroid plants.

There are a lot of pretty cool aroid plants. Here is one of my emersed-grown Anubias barteri. I like this plant a lot.

[hydrophyte]

Here I am again with another plug for the International Aroid Society. Participation in this organization is a great way to find rare plants. Here is a shot of the Cryptocoryne affinis that I scored during the auction that weekend of the IAS Show and Sale.

[hydrophyte]

A lot of aroids have quite attractive leaves. Here is a recent shot of the 'Silver Dollar' taro that I was growing in my 65-gallon tank.



You can see to the left of the leaf a couple of spathes. The spathe of this plant is rather dull and not much to look at.

[hydrophyte]

Hey y'all, if you like plants, then do check out the International Aroid Society website, and consider becoming an IAS member.

Aroid.org

It's a cool organization, and aroids are cool plants. Look at this crazy Cryptocoryne. It looks like it came from outer space.

[CL]

Cool, I never realized that crypts and anubias were so similar.

[hydrophyte]

Yep, they are both in Family Araceae, the aroid family. Lagenandra is also an aroid. I can't think of too many other aquarium aroids, but there are a number of strange and beautiful semi-aquatic aroids that grow as marginals or emergents in swamps or along river banks. Here is the unusual Cyrtosperma johnstonii.



(Wikipedia-linked image, by Kurt Stueber)