I just picked up this vining aroid from a friend and of course he doesn't recall an ID. I well understand the problems associated with the
morphogenesis within the family, yet I wondered if anyone had recalled seeing this juvinile leaf form. I'll start this series of images with the whole plant. It is in a 4" pot to give you an idea of scale.
Can you post tight shots of both the upper and lower blade so the veins can be seen? Knowing the shape of the petiole and if it has striation (lines) or grooves such as a canal will also be helpful. The distance between the nodes, at least an average, will also help.
Steve
This image is of the adaxial surface of the largest leaf. Margin entire, venation parallel, lobes appear uneven.
Abaxial Leaf surface
cataphyll ? (my botany fails me) on new leaf whereas on older leaves this modified leaf seems persistant and is wrapped around the petiole. Internodes are approx. 4" but may be affected by low light conditions. Jerry K. said this is a very rapid growing aroid.
This image is of the leaf base and the petiole illustrating the knee-like structure ( again my botany fails me). There is a single petiole ridge running from the adaxial leaf base 1/3 of the way down the petiole toward the internode. There is a slight flattening of the aadaxial side of the petiole with the abaxial side being round.
The internodal stem has what I will descibe as rough texture, almost a scaling. It does not cover the entire circumferance of the stem but what seems to be the adaxial surface with the abaxial surface being smooth.
A note on venation. There is a midrib that extents from the petiole through the apical (?) lobe, each branching lobe has a secondary midrib extending from the primary midrib, a vein also extends from the primary midrid around the margin of each lobe with a network of tiny pinnate veins extending the the secondary midrib of each lobe to the margin vein. Geez, I hope that makes sense.
Scott
I first thought this plant to be Philo. Quericifolium but after reading Steve's page regarding P. Pedatum I was totally confused as they are synonyms. Noticing that the lobes are uneven I decided to take a shot at Rhaphidophora as that seems to be a trait of the genus thus I am purely guessing and am clueless as to genus much less species. Good luck with this one.
Scott
Thanks Scott. The term cataphyll is correct. Do I see two ribs on that cataphyll?
The petiole is canaliculate (has a canal) which is also known as a sulcus. I have seen some very strange and varied forms of Philodendron pedatum which is the the accepted name for a bunch of synonyms but I don't think this is a form of P. pedatum. Let me do some research and ask a couple of botanists to take a look. Chances are someone will know. You might want to send Brian Williams a Dmail as well. He is very good with these plants.
The photos are great as are you descriptions. If more folks would follow your lead it would be much easier to come up with a good ID!
Steve
Thanks for your efforts, Steve. There are multiple ridges on the cataphyll.
This image shows the persistance of the cataphyll on an older leaf.
Scott
A really cool aroid but it is not Rhaphidophora this is Amydrium zippelianum it use to go under another name it escapes me at the moment it is Asian and the leaves can change as it matures I had several forms ones with larger wider leaf segments and then the normal leaf form like these.
Great call Brian, after you posted this name I googled around and came up with this image of yours from the IAS.
http://www.aroid.org/genera/serveimage.php?key=205
Thanks to both you and Steve.
See ya in Sept.
Scott
Thanks Brian! And Scott, I will look forward to meeting you!
Steve
