Philodendron hederaceum: Difference between revisions

Philodendron hederaceum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Alismatales
Family:	Araceae
Genus:	Philodendron
Species:	P. hederaceum
Binomial name
Philodendron hederaceum Schott
Varieties
Philodendron hederaceum var. hederaceum Philodendron hederaceum var. kirkbridei Philodendron hederaceum var. oxycardium
Synonyms
Philodendron cuspidatum K. Koch & C. D. Bouché Philodendron micans K. Koch Philodendron scandens K. Koch & Sello

Philodendron hederaceum^[1] (common name: heartleaf philodendron) is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Central America and the Caribbean. It is an evergreen, hemiepiphytic climber growing to 3–6 m (10–20 ft), with heart-shaped glossy leaves to 30 cm (12 in) long, and occasionally spathes of white flowers in mature plants. A common houseplant, it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[2]

The ivy-shaped philodendron called Arum hederaceum was originally described by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin in 1760 in 'Enumeratio Systematica Plantarum'; here was an illustration of Plumier depicting this plant. Three years later, Jacquin, in his work 'Selectarum Stirpium Americanarum Historia', published his own illustration of this species, depicting in fact Philodendron jacquinii. These two species are quite different from each other, so that even such illustrations as Plumier, depicting non-flowering plants, make it possible to distinguish them.

This mistake by Jacquin brought considerable confusion in the identification of species by various authors, such as Kunt (1841), Engler (1899), Krause (1913), Dugand (1945) and Bunting (1963, 1995), misused the name Philodendron hederaceum in relation to another species. Schott solved the problem by transferring Arum hederaceum in 1929 to the genus Philodendron and calling it Philodendron hederaceum. In his work Synopsis Aroidearum in 1856, he described Philodendron jacquinii, clearly based on an illustration by Jacquin 1763.^[3]

With Philodendron hederaceum var. hederaceum and Philodendron hederaceum var. oxycardium (Schott), Croat differed them only in tehir leaves at a young age: in Philodendron hederaceum var. hederaceum young leaves, they are velvety with a silky sheen on the upper surface, while with Philodendron hederaceum var. oxycardium (Schott) Croat noticed the upper surface of their young leaves are glossy. These two young forms were considered by Bunting (1968) as Philodendron scandens f. micans. With the third kind of Philodendron hederaceum var. Kirkbridei, Croat distinguished it by its woody stems which are brown and deeply rough, with sharp edges, that grows at higher elevations.^[4]

Juvenile leaves are ovate, caudate-acuminate at the apex, with ovate adult leaves that are 15-30 cm long and 10-21 cm wide, deeply lobed at the base, parabolic to spatulate, velvety (sometimes reddish-green) in the beam, rear rib not naked. The leafy plates of young plants are dark green, sometimes reddish-green above, with shiny small closed papillaries, slightly chestnut below, with less noticeable veins.^[5]

Petioles are 9-25 cm long and up to 10 mm in diameter at the base. Stem ascends, often hanging, with lignified honey colour, covered with scars from fallen leaves 7-15 mm long. The internodes are slightly smoothed on one side, on the other hand, with two sharp edges above the petioles, slightly glossy, sometimes dull, from light green to green, sometimes reddish, dotted with small motley stripes, young smooth, 10-28 cm long, 1-2.5 (3.5) cm in diameter.

The male part of the cob is 5-10 mm long, dark chestnut; the female part is 3.5-6 cm long, 1.5 cm in diameter at the base, 1.7 cm in diameter in the middle part and at the top; some staminodes 7–11 cm long; reproductive part of staminodes from creamy-white to pink color, the widest at the base, slightly compressed about 1 cm above the sterile part, more or less cylindrical at the top, 1.4-2.2 cm in diameter in the middle, 9 mm in diameter about 1 cm from the top; the sterile part of staminodes is 1.6 cm in diameter.^[6]

Inflorescences are straight or hanging, one by one in the leaf axil, with peduncle 3-8 cm long; spathe 9-15 cm long having a pale-green, purple sometimes matt, cuspidated at the apex, slightly contracted between the tube and the lamina. The cover is from semi-leather to leathery, 9-16.6 (24) cm long, 0.9-2.6 (3.3) times longer than the pedicel, slightly compressed above the tube, 1.3-3.6 (5.7 ) cm in diameter when closed, usually green, sometimes yellowish white, yellowish green, or cream to light cream in color; the cover plate is sometimes violet outside, 1.2–3.6 cm in diameter when closed, light green, greenish yellow, sometimes red inside; the tube covered dark green, sometimes reddish chestnut outside, 5-6 cm long, 1.5-4.9 (6.9) cm in diameter, chestnut, dark red or purple inside at the base.

The tube 4-6 cm long and 1-2.2 cm wide (only slightly wider than the lamina), green, reddish on the inside of the base, green blade; spadix 8-13 cm long, weakly projected outward from spathe in anthesis, white; pistillate portion 4-4.5 cm long and 4-11 mm wide; staminate portion wider than the pistillate, moderately tapered at the apex. Pestles 4–9.2 mm long, 1.8–3.1 mm in diameter. Ovary 4-6 (7) -llum, 8 mm long; socket 8 mm long, 1.4 mm in diameter; in the nest 20-26 ovules , 0.1 mm long, double row. Stigma is 0.1–0.3 mm in length, from accrete to subpartite. Column is 1.1 mm long, 2.9 mm in diameter.^[7]

It features greenish white berries. It has 1-2 seeds in the nest, but in large numbers in the berry, orange, from ovate to oblong-oval, 1.5-3 (5) mm long, 2.5-4 mm in diameter, slightly compressed, densely cellular.^[8]

With a minimum temperature requirement of 15 °C (59 °F), in temperate regions it must be grown under glass or as a houseplant, where it is grown as a climbing plant, depending on whether its long stems are allowed to trail over the rims of the pots or hanging baskets.^[9] The plant can be propagated by cuttings. It is a vigorous grower at homes that will tolerate low light for extended periods of time, though like many so-called “low-light” plants, it will still do better if given bright indirect light and it must be misted daily to increase the humidity. The plant will thrive well in warmish indoor temperatures of 24-27ºC (75-80ºF), but would not tolerate temperatures that drop below about 13ºC (55ºF).

The plant is noted by NASA for removing Formaldehyde, which can absorb between 80 and 90% of the organic compound present in the home.

Parts of the plant are known to contain calcium oxalate crystals in varying concentrations. Although the plant is known to be toxic to mice and rats, the current literature is conflicting with regards to its toxicity in cats.^[10][11][12] Its possible toxic effects on humans are currently unknown although likely very mild if not harmless.^[13]

It is distributed throughout Central America (Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama ), in most of South America (French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil), on the islands of the Caribbean (Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago).

It is found in tropical rainforests, often on rocks, at an altitude of up to 1200m above sea level, and can also occur at an altitude of up to 1500m above sea level.

• Philodendron cordatum, very similar-looking Philodendendron that's also called 'heartleaf plant'

• The Exotic Rainforest - Plants in the Exotic Rainforest Collection
• Philodendron cordatum (hort.) info