I just saw it referred to as Monstera pinnatipartita dubia, but I find nothing using this name. Has P. ornatum been reclassified? Is the Monstera close but significantly distinct?
And back to my initial question: Is it difficult to keep in a normal household setting (no hot house environment)? I certainly don't want to invest in another interesting plant that I will inevitably kill.
Then again, it is actually interesting. I haven't seen one face to face. Will it enrich my life or drain my energy with no return?
Anyone?
Philodendron ornatum: easy/difficult? Reclassified?
Oh, what a giant can of worms! Please consider, I am only the messenger. Don't shoot me if you don't like the answer. I'll gladly give you the email address for the Missouri Botanical Garden so you can shoot them.
No, Philodendron ornatum has not been reclassified. I can either write one hug bunch of gibberish (which I know I will be accused of doing anyone) or try to break it down. Hopefully the later approach is easier.
As of today there are only 35 accepted species of Monstera and all are found in Central and tropical South America. It has been some years since the last official work on the genus Monstera was done but Dr. Tom Croat of the Missouri Botanical Garden is now working on a brand new one. He tells us he expects the total number of species once the work is completed to be around 50.
Here is the big problem. There are distantly related species found in Southeast Asia that resemble the form of a Monstera and/or a Philodendron. There are no Philodendron or Monstera species found naturally in Asia! Not a one.
They are all in similar larger scientific family but the ones that resemble Monstera are in different genera. All the Monstereae are found in the genera Amydrium, Rhaphidophora, Epipremnum, Scindapsus, Alloschemone, Rhodospatha, and Stenospermation.other genera. The genus Monstera is also in the family Monstereae but is not represented in Asia. Sellers, especially on eBay, began selling these plants as "Monstera" or "Philodendron" quite a few years ago and we are now stuck with all those names, despite the fact quite a few are totally bogus. Some of the species in these unique genera are similar to a Philodendron or a Monstera but they cannot be given those names since they don't fit into the specific group (genus).
Alistair on Dave's Garden is far more experienced than am I in explaining all of this and I hope he will step in a correct any mistakes.
Now to your questions. There is no such plant as "Monstera pinnatipartita dubia" There is a Monstera pinnatipartita but it does not really look like the plant being sold with that name. There is also a Monstera dubia but it too is not commonly available.
I have been working with Emily Colletti who is the aroid green house keeper at the Missouri Botanical Garden to try to get accurate photos of their plants. We go up there about every three months and she helps me dig out specimens to try for good photos. There is a very big problem in that many of the juvenile forms of these plants look very much alike so it takes more than a casual photograph to tell them apart. The photos at this link are of the juvenile of Monstera pinnatipartita taken in their greenhouse in April of this year. at the same time I got about 5 other species and have several already posted on my website.
I fully expect some to disagree with the ID but these were taken with Emily standing right beside me and sh went up to the computer to dig out the ID numbers and then pulled the specimens from the tables by number to be certain of the ID.
http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Monstera%20pinnatipartita%20pc.html
I know this photo is not going to look like what most of us think that species should be like and I was very much fooled myself. I showed the plant I have known as Monstera pinnatipartita to Dr. Croat at the garden and he has no idea what it might be. Mine is now approaching the adult phase and it will then be easier to ID since botanists rarely photograph or describe a juvenile. They are only interested in the adult leaf form.
All of us need to be very careful about accepting names from eBay sales as being accurate. Most sellers just resell a plant using the name they were given which is all too often very wrong.
The juvenile blade of Monstera pinnatipartita is definitely blue green in color and looks nothing like the adult plant.
Steve
This message was edited Aug 9, 2010 7:14 PM
This message was edited Aug 9, 2010 7:30 PM
This is the juvenile form of Monstera dubia shot on the greenhouse wall in the main tropical atrium display at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami. About four feet above this group of blades the plant morphed into the adult form and there is no resemblance in the two. If you didn't have a botanist standing beside you to explain natural variation and/or ontogeny you would swear they are two different plants.
In my case, I had several botanists a small group of the members of the International Aroid Society a tour. If I recall correctly, Brian Williams was just feet away and the ID was given by Dr. Tom Croat of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Besides that, there was a tag on the wall.
Steve
This is Philodendron ornatum. This photo was taken by Dr. Tom Croat at the Missouri Botanical Garden and I have his permission to borrow his photos for educational purposes. Although many people confuse the two, the genus Monstera and the genus Philodendron are not closely related. This plant is a sub adult and has not yet reached the adult growth form. Sorry the photo has been manipulated so much but that is done by the computer folks at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
In my experience it is not difficult to grow as long as it is given humidty and porous soil with moderatly bright light.
This message was edited Aug 9, 2010 7:32 PM
I know a lot of growers don't like discussions that include technical material so this post is largely for those that are curious. All aroids undergo two growth phases that cause them to change. The first is known as ontogeny and is the same thing we observe when a baby human morphs from a newborn into a toddler, then to a teenager and finally into our adult years. Plants do the same thing and it is very common in aroids.
The second part happens at the same time but has a different cause. That is known as natural variation in species. If you don't care to read all the "stuff" at least scroll through the photos. You'll get the idea and I would bet many will be very surprised.
http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Natural%20variation%20within%20aroid%20and%20%20plant%20species.html
Every plant in the group below is the exact same species (Philodendron pedatum) due to natural variation.
Steve
