2584 



PHILODENDRON 



PHILODENDRON 



American. They are monographed by Engler in Das 

 Pflanzenrich, hft. 60 (IV. 23 Dd) 1913, who accepts 

 222 species. Some of them are prominent in tropical 

 plantings. 



Only a few philodendrons can be grown to have an 

 ornamental appearance in a small state. One which 

 goes under the name of P. elegantissimum, with finely 

 cut leaves, makes a good pot specimen, although it will 

 reach considerable height when suitable opportunities 

 are afforded. The same may be said of P. Selloum, a 

 beautiful species with pinnatifid leaves. The arborescent 

 kinds should have a very porous rooting medium and 

 copious supplies of water while in active growth. When 

 climbing, they must have provision made for the roots, 

 which are produced along the stems. Some of the spe- 

 cies do well climbing up the stems of tall palms, such 

 as arenga and livistona: otherwise dead trunks of 

 tree ferns make admirable rooting substances for the 

 roots to penetrate and cling to. Propagation is by divi- 

 sion of the climbing stems. P. elegantissimum is an 

 unidentified trade name. 



A. Lvs. bipinnate. 

 B. Terminal If.-segms. 3-lobed, the lobes 



unequal. 



Selldum, C. Koch (P. Sellowi, Hort.). 

 Blade pinnatisect, the segms. again 

 pinnate or lobed; terminal segms. 3- 

 lobed, the cuspidate middle lobe about 

 equaling the obtuse lateral ones: spathe 

 slightly cuspidate, its tube longer than the ovate hooded 

 blade, green without, white within. Distinguished from 

 P. bipinnatifidum by the very numerous parallel trans- 

 lucent spots, which are visible on both sides of the If. 

 and are often excurrent on the margin. Brazil to Para- 

 guay. B.M. 6773. G.W. 10, p. 211. 



BB. Terminal If.-segms. S-5-lobed, the middle lobe much 

 longer than the lateral ones. 



bipinnatifidum, Schott. Blade pinnatisect, the segms. 

 again pinnate or lobed; terminal segm. 3-5-lobed, the 

 middle lobe ovate-lanceolate, acute, much longer than 

 the obtuse lateral ones: spathe oblong-ovate, its' tube 

 scarcely distinct from its blade, purple without, white 

 within. S. Brazil. Does well in the open in S. Calif. 



AA. Lvs. simple. 

 B. Lf. -blade linear or lanceolate. 



crassinervium, Lindl. Climbing: Ivs. linear to lan- 

 ceolate-acuminate, the midnerve very thick and in- 

 flated: spathe obtuse and hooded, apiculate at the tip. 

 Brazil. B.R. 1958. P. n6bile, Bull, is like this but 

 larger: Ivs. long-oblanceolate, large, coriaceous, and 

 shining, obtuse or short-acuminate, narrowed at base: 

 tube of spathe rosy crimson inside and outside, the 

 limb white inside and spotted outside. Guiana. 



BB. Lf .-blade sagittate. 



specidsum, Schott. St. tall, arborescent: petioles 

 terete at the base, concavo-convex above, twice as long 

 as the midrib; blade triangular-oblong-ovate, bright 

 green, acuminate, deeply sagittate, the basal lobes 

 rhomboidal, obtuse, abruptly narrowed on the inner 

 side above the middle : spathes thick, green with purple 

 margins; spadix finger-shaped, shorter than the spathe. 

 S. Brazil. 



BBB. Lf. -blade oblong to ovate-cordate. 

 c. Color of Ivs. milky white above, with reddish veins. 



SSdiroi, Hort. Lvs. cordate, ovate, milky white with 

 reddish veins above; petiole cylindrical, pink. P. Sodi- 

 rodnum, Engler, is a different plant, apparently not in 

 cult. 



CC. Color of Ivs. some shads of green above. 

 D. Petioles tomentose. 



verrucSsum, Mathieu (P. Cdrderi, Hort. P. Lindenii, 

 Hort.). St. long, branching, climbing, ashy gray, sca- 

 brous, angular-cylindrical, swollen at the nodes; 

 internodes 3-6 in. long: petioles stout-cylindrical or 

 somewhat angled, bright metallic red, covered with 

 soft, erect, twisted, fleshy bristles and greenish _ hairs 

 4-6 in. long; blade glabrous, green above, brilliantly 

 polished, or with paler lines and immersed nerves, 

 bright green beneath with salmon-violet lines between 

 the lateral nerves, 6-8 in. long, 4-6 in. wide, ovate-cor- 

 date, the semicircular basal lobes one-third as long as 

 the slightly undulate apical one. Costa Rica south- 

 ward. I.H. 18:79 (as P. daguense). 



DD. Petioles glabrous. 



giganteum, Schott. Climbing: petioles 3 ft. long, 

 thick, cylindrical; blade cordate-ovate, 24-28 in. long, 

 16-20 in. wide, the basal lobes slightly introrse, semi- 

 ovate or obliquely semicircular, one-fourth as long as 

 the apical one, separated by a broad parabolic sinus: 

 spathe-tube 2 in. long, oblong, pur- 

 ple; spadix very thick. Trop. Amer. 

 Imbe, Schott (P. Sellowianum, 

 Kunth) . Branches rusty purple : peti- 

 oles of young plant semi-cylindri- 

 cal, terete, sparsely brown-spotted, 

 1 3^2-2 times longer than the midrib; 

 blade like parchment, cordate-ob- 

 long, the oblong basal lobes one- 

 half as long as the apical, separated 

 by a wide parabolic sinus, retrorse 

 or subintrorse; apical lobe cuspidate: spathe green out- 

 side, red within, its broadly ovate blade dirty yellow; 

 spadix shaped like a finger. S. Brazil. The Mexican P. 

 sanguineum has been called P. Imbe in gardens. P. 

 sanguineum differs in having more elongated Ivs. which 

 are red beneath. 



spectabile, Lind. Large, of vigorous habit: Ivs. 

 12-15 in. long, nearly as broad, silky or velvety green. 

 Andreanum, Devans. Lvs. rather large, cordate- 

 ovate, with short basal lobes, bronzy green. Colombia. 

 R.H. 1886:36. R.B. 13, fig. 30 Sparingly grown. 

 Looks like a narrow-lvd. anthurium. 



P. calophyllum, Brongn. (P. nobile, Bull, in part). Lvs. tufted, 

 2-3 ft. long, 5-6 in. broad at middle, linear-oblong, acuminate, 

 shining above, the costa very thick at base, with linear depressions: 

 spathe pale yellowish green outside, inside bright carmine with 

 white margin. N. Brazil. B.M. 7827. P. cannifdlium. Mart. Lvs. 

 thick, coriaceous, oblong, shining above, the costa semi-terete: 

 spathe cymbiform, green outside, purple, green and white inside. 

 Brazil. P. Corsonianum, Makoy. Lvs. 1J4-2J4 ft- long, 11-18 

 in. broad, shortly pinnatifid, deep green above, beneath purple 

 with green veins: spathe with a purple-crimson spotted tube, the 

 limb light green with red spots outside, the inside carmine with 

 darker spots. Hybrid. B.M. 8172. P. Devansayeanum, Lind., is a 

 scandent species with rather small glossy green Ivs. which, even to 

 the petioles, are blood-red when young. Peru. I.H. 42:48. 

 P. Duvivieri, Hort. Lvs. broadly and deeply lobed. Brazil. P. 

 erubescens, C. Koch. Climbing: Ivs. elongated ovate-triangular, 6-8 

 in. long, 4-6 in. wide: spathe black-purple. P. Glazidvii, Hook, f., 

 is a climber something like P. crassinervium: Ivs. oblong-acute, 

 deep green, 12-18 in. long, 3-5 in. broad: spathe open, yellowish, 



2906. Phlebodium aureum. 



