COSTA RICA CROTON WANDERINGS-THE MANY FACES OF MULTICOLOR

donroberth

Well-Known Member
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19/07/09
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“Our illustration of this most distinct of the many varieties of Croton is also taken from a photograph, and is a most faithful illustration. We need scarcely say that it is one of those many fine varieties discovered by Mr John Gould Veitch in the South Sea Islands. The leaves, as will be observed, are very irregular in shape, oblong, spathu-late, tapering at the base, and contracting in an irregular manner at the centre. They attain a length of 8 to 9 inches. "The young leaves are of a light-green blotched with yellow, but turning with age on the upper surface into a glossy green, puckered and irregularly blotched with yellow, reddish yellow, and red; the midrib is crimson, the secondary veins yellowish, the under surface being red," and from this great diversity of colouring it received the name Multicolor.”

NOTE: The above illustration referred to is found in foto #6 below.

REF: This section is from the book "The Gardener V1", by William Thomson

“Introduced from the South Sea Islands throught the late John Gould Veitch.”

REF: Veitchs' Catlg. of Pl. 1871, p. 15, fig. p.4 ; Fl and Pom. 1872, p. 89, fig

(Two photographs)

REF: Brown, B. Frank 1995 Crotons of the World p.78

01-02-03-04 First up are 4 close-ups for Ana. NOTE: Ana…there are a total of 11 fotos in this pictorial that can be considered “CLOSE-UPS” for your enjoyment and/or edification.
 

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05 MULTICOLOR-CLOSEUP

06 Illustration of MULTICOLOR found attached to aforementioned “RE: The Gardener V1”.

07 MULTICOLOR

08 MULTICOLOR aka COBRA HEAD: Careful when you are rummaging in or around this cultivar. I understand that a Cobra’s venom is nothing to take lightly (foto inserts), lol ;)

 

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Foto 09: Top view of foto 08…this flush, with a multitude of leaf tips curling-up into “LITTLE COBRA HEADS” could have easily been named MEDUSA THE GORGON :eek:!

Fotos 10 & 11: Street-side pix.
 

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Fotos 15-16-17:

Foto #15…I caught a glimpse of this garden on my way home after a full day of wandering through the country-side looking for and taking pictures of CROTONS. It was late in the day and I felt this yard was to cluttered to photograph. The MULTICOLOR that interested me was leggy, besides, I was tired, dusty and hungry so I didn’t stop…BIG MISTAKE!!! Needless to say, I went back the following week.
 

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Fotos 18-19-20-21

I needed one additional pic of MULTICOLOR for this submission so decided to take the subject CROTON apart with my camera (photographically speaking) and later choose one. Fotos 16 thru 21 are what I came up with and just could not find myself omitting any of them. Enjoy the multi-colors, glossy greens, irregular leaf shapes, and textures that I feel manifest themselves so beautifully in this cultivar.
 

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WHOOPS !!! I left out 3 fotos accidentally...sorry. :p Fotos 12-13 & 14...more street-side pix.
 

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Thanks,again! Multicolor was one of my first crotons and has always been a favorite! Judy
 
Thank-you for the great thread, Robert, and the great photos of multicolor. It was one of my favorites in my yard also, until my husband flooded it with pool water and it defoliated. Waiting for it to get it's leaves back. Interesting to see the variety of color in the different plants. Ana
 
Fantastic photos Robert. Thanks for posting. I've been to Costa Rica & Central America quite a few times & crotons are used in front of homes instead of flowers, even in the poorer areas.

-Randy
 
To: Scott Mcintosh, Jeff Searle, Judy Glock, Annafl, Koki, King David, Palm Island and Moose...many thanks for taking a bit of your time to express your thoughts re: Multicolor pictorial I recently submitted.

I enjoyed putting it together and glad all you folks also liked it. It always feels good when someone has appreciated and praised one’s efforts.
:)
 
Thank you so much for your input, Robert. From this post I learned to love my newly acquired Multicolor. First I thought it is just a strange plant with kind of half-melted leaves.
 
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