Alocasia "Brisbane Blue" (Alocasia brisbanensis
x Alocasia odora "Azurea")

This plant is one seedling that resulted from crossing Alocasia brisbanensis and Alocasia odora 'Azurea' (the Blue Odora). We obtained about a dozen seedlings total, but of all of them, this one has the most coloration. Others from this cross are either all green or have just a tinge of coloration to the petioles.

However, the most important findings obtained from this work are, first of all, the confirmation that hybrids involving A. brisbanensis seem to hold many more leaves at one time than the typical Alocasia plant does, and secondly, crosses of A. brisbanensis done with the macrorrhizos group are sterile, while those with the odora group are fertile. Consequently, our work direction has shifted to focus on the hybrids involving both A. brisbanensis and one of the A. odora types as foundational parents for further work. While sterility is desirable in the end-product hybrids, the fertility of intermediate forms is essential to further work.

The picture above shows a close-up view of the vigorous stem on Alocasia "Brisbane Blue", showing many petioles and robust suckering.