Having studied the mating habits of another one of my Epiphytes I have now turned my attention to the Monstera deliciosa plants in my garden. They have what look like flower buds.
There are many photos available of the flowers and fruit but none showing this stage. The flowers are like giant Arum Lilies so I don't think that I would have overlooked them in the past.
It may be that these plants are only 3 years old and this may be their first year to produce flowers.
Looking through my photo archives I find these buds looking very different in October.
Cool! This is one of my favorite plants. Mine are only little things yet - only one divided leaf! I'm going to fertilize them a lot this spring.
Disappointment! My gardener now assures me that these items are leaf buds and not flower buds.
err... I don't think those are leaf buds. I agree that they're flower buds. I would guess the color difference is due to the age of the flower(s).
I hope that you are right. They certainly look like flower buds to me. Syngonium with the same propagation method, has similar flower buds but a lot smaller.
Philodendron is the third epiphyte in the group. I have many very mature plants disappearing into the canopy and hanging down. These should also be preparing to flower but have not seen any signs.
I have found a flower photo with buds on Flickr so we may have a chance.
I have now done the obvious and resorted to surgery.
I am now confident that these are flower buds.
I now have a long wait until 2010 to sample the delicious fruit that everybody raves about.
Wow! Nice pic, John! You surely didn't cut off ALL the flower buds, did you? It looked like you had a few there!
I am no botanist but from my studies it is now possible to see the male and female parts of the flowers. The Carpels are to the right and the male stamens are to the left. Only the top part of the stamens are fertile. In the middle they are sterile. This apparently prevents self fertilization.
There are many other flower buds adjacent to the cultivated garden, There are probably more deeper in the woods. I also have a juvenile that has not developed it's adult leaves yet. This plant has a leaf bud with a whitish sheath(Cataphyll), which at a distance can be confused with a flower bud.
I've looked at the picture of the Monstera that you have. Are you sure it's a Monstera Johnpeten? Even immature leaves are rounder and wider than those that I am looking at on a Monstera. I'm not saying that it isn't, it just looks more like a philodendron var. I do know that Monstera has different leaf forms so I was just wondering.
Now you have got me thinking. It did cross my mind that it could be a philodendron. Because it was only a few yards from the Monsteras I may have jumped to the wrong conclusion. It clings to the tree like a Monstera. I will have to have the undergrowth cut down to get to it. In the meanwhile I will do some research.
My garden covers two acres. Only half an acre was cleared for the house and cultivated garden. Mature trees were left standing in the cleared part and paths were cut in the other part. The vast number of indigenous plants, from my observations, are generally of only one species of a Genus, from self propagation.
Guatemala is a small country but has a full range of climate zones because of it's various elevations.
I have a copy of the Flora of Guatemala produced by the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago between 1947 and 1977.
Only 30 Philodendron species and 11 Monstera species have been discovered in Guatemala during the research period. Very few were noted as growing in the Peten, a tropical lowland with the largest rainforest in Central America.
In many cases the differences between species is very slight.
Having said this mouthfull I have one species of Philodendron (photo attached) the Monstera delicosa and the one in question. This one has been photographed from a distance. More detail will be available when a path has been cut through the undergrowth.
With the undergrowth now removed the whole system is visible. There are 6 plants which grew from terrestrial roots. The roots of the older (higher) plants have rotted away and they now have no connection to the soil.
It looks like a Philodendron in a way but is not a climbing vine like a Philodendron. It looks more like 6 Monstera type plants growing together.
So the mystery continues.
This is a close-up of the second from youngest,
I have found that the only Monstera found in Guatemala with cordate(Heart shaped) leaves when juvenile is the delicosa.
Hi Johnpeten, I really do think that you have a philiodendron. Many of your philo's produce airal roots that attach to the surface that it is climbing on and will eventually grown down to the ground and root. A monstera which is the close cousin does the same time. Looking at the intervel between the leaf nodes also look more like a philodendron than a monstera. From what I looked at in your pictures a monstera at that hight would have mature leaves, which I am sure you have seen. Many philodendron's will change there leaf form with age and height. A young monstera will have entire, uncut or perforated leaves when very young and not yet climbing, hense the confusion between philiodendron pertusum and Monstera. A young monstera will start developing leaves that are larger and with cuts after about oh I would say the 4th or 5th leaf after growing up a support. I'm not an expert, but I really do think that is a philodendron. It could be philodendron domesticum (hastatum)
This message was edited Jan 21, 2009 10:28 PM
Now that the area around the tree hosting the plant has been cleared, I look at the plant everyday. I have come to the same conclusion that this is a Philodendron. I have been too occupied to continue the research.
The identification of the Philodendron species, in the past has been a complete muddle. I don't think it has been completely sorted to date. People have been at each others throats concerning the ID of hastatum and domesticum. It has been suggested that the botanist giving the ID for domesticum (home grown) was in fact playing a joke.
Neither of these species appears in the Guatemalan Flora's list of 35 species but this is not a surprise considering the muddle.
The leaf certainly indicates that it could be one of the species that you suggested.
I will find time to go through the Flora and see what I can find.
Thank you for your interest, the can of worms is open again.
As the planting of the cultivated garden is now more or less complete, we have time to explore the wild garden. We should, in theory, find other examples of this Philodendron from which the seeds came.
We have discovered three more trees with Monstera vines. One had a junior leaf.
Well I hope you get it sorted out down there johnpeten. That last picture looks like philodendron lacerum. Take care and good luck in growing :)
Monstera deliciosa. The first leaves are small and cordate (heart shaped) The second stage leaves are larger and start to show pinnatifid ( last photo). The final leaves are fully pinnatifid, with which we are very familiar.
To date we have found no other examples of the Philodendron that we discussed. I still have to comb through the Taxonomy of 35 species listed here.
We have discovered a Passiflora that was easily identified and another Passiflora that has very unusual leaves described and illustrated as one species and it's flowers and fruit described in another species.
I am beginning to realise that our Flora published in 1977 and compiled between 1946 and 1977 contains confusion and errors. This is not surprising with a 5,697 page volume.
We have found several more of the unidentified Philodendron, growing as terrestrials in the undergrowth, having been unable to locate a tree.
The growing tip of one was accidentally severed during the clearance. The sap of Philodendron is supposed to be clear or resinous. This sap was slightly milky.
Also two other species which we assume are Philodendron.
This plant certainly looks like a Philodendron but has compound leaves. Growing as a terrestrial twining through the undergrowth looking for a tree..
The third discovery, once again it looks like a Philodendron has opposing leaves on the stalk and the leaves are slightly crinkled. It is twining through the undergrowth with a terrestrial root.
Hmm. well the first one could be a type of pothos it's hard to tell when leaves are young. The second one could be P. fenzlii. Not being able to see the growing stems makes it difficult to tell. I know the last picture is definitely not a philodendron as it has opposit leaves, not alternate like you find with philodendrons. You can also see the tendrils that are grasping other things like you would find with vines such as passiflora. You certainly have your hands full down there :)
This message was edited Jan 31, 2009 9:36 PM
This message was edited Jan 31, 2009 9:38 PM
