The plant that started all of this was Cyrtosperma johnstonii. Brian fell in love with this massive aquatic plant. He always describes it as alien—and it certainly lives up to that description with its massive, colorful leaves that stand upright and are deeply ridged. Brian says it looks like the Star Trek emblem on a stem! He really has a way with words. When I asked him about Kuching Mask, he said he was aiming for the same kind of leaves—very structural and colorful—but on an Alocasia, since Cyrtosperma needs much higher temperatures to survive. While walking the trail fields years ago, he found exactly what he was looking for, and Kuching Mask was born. The bonus is that this plant has all the shape and drama but is much easier to care for, and it produces large bulbs that can be lifted and stored every year! | 
