#leaf variegation

[continent-of-wild-endeavor]

There were a bunch of these heartleaf gingers along one section of the trail, that lacked any of their usual markings! The first two pics show the unusual ones. Below left, more typical examples. And I briefly thought "Did you just forget what galax looks like?" But no, it was right there too, for comparison (lower right).

H. arifolia, probably, but there are a few rarer species (& hybrids) in this area that I wouldn't know how to distinguish. They're usually all variegated, too.

[mijntuin]

Beautiful variegated photos; label doesnt specify which variety.

[therealityhelix]

While variegated leaves are often prized in houseplants, they're pretty rare in the wild. These are giant ragweed, henbit, and violet from around my neighborhood, all taken this year. I hope to see them again next year, but they are not all likely to survive, or pass the gene on.

[charlottebamboo]

Pleioblstus viridistriatus

[charlottebamboo]

Pleioblastus fortunei, Dwarf Whitestripe

[houseplantjournal]

January 22, 2015 - found a nice article about leaf variegation. The main thing I learned is that there are two types of variegation:

Pigment variegation - "cell mutations in one or more layers of the leaf cause the foliage to become patterned. This variation is found within the plant cells, called plastids. Plastids contain different colored pigments that determine leaf color." Only this type of variegation can revert to pure green as I've witnessed with my golden pothos.

Structural variegation - "Instead of affecting plastids, structural variegation exploits a phenomenon known as total internal reflection. Light is reflected from the upper surface of the leaf, resulting in a characteristic silvery variegation." This type of variegation doesn't revert. Some examples are begonias and the watermelon peperomia.