Alocasia reginae 'Miri'

This jewel of an Alocasia is known by at least two names in the trade. We have both of the plants in our collection and, although they are quite similar in some ways, they are different in others. The Alocasia reginae 'Miri' is available from Malesiana Tropicals, while the plant known as Alocasia nebula 'Elaine' is available from Agristarts. The plant known as 'Elaine' grows more slowly, at least for us, and is a smaller plant overall, than the 'Miri'. The 'Elaine' also has a lighter bluish coloration pattern on the upper sides of the leaves, and a fainter reddish coloration on the undersides. As can be seen above, the undersides of 'Miri' are quite dark red in color, while the upper sides of the leaves are a much darker green with just a bluish tinge to them. As with all of the jewels, this plant must not be overwatered and should not be exposed to temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

April 2007 Update!

The picture above shows two (2) berries obtained from a cross using pollen of Alocasia sarawakensis onto pistils of Alocasia reginae 'Miri'. I have since squished these berries and I got two large well-formed seeds, one to each berry. This could be a really spectacular hybrid, especially because the A. sarawakensis does well in swampy conditions and the A. reginae 'Miri' is one of those temperamental jewel types.