Re: Philodendron variifolium Schott

Thanks Alison.  If we can get Dr. Croat to respond I believe he would say this is just another of the multiple photo errors in Mr. Graf's books.  I am personally aware of quite a few including the plant he calls "Philodendron cannifolium" which is correctly Philodendron martianum.   I doubt it will ever happen but aroids should totally drop the use of the name "Philodendron cannifolium".   http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Philodendron%20martianum%20pc.html  The interesting thing about that error is it may have been caused by Dr. von Martius for whom Philodendron martianum was named!  I do my best to explain that in the link.

If you go to this link you can see a photo of the real Philodendron variifolium which looks nothing like the plant many of us have grown using that name which is truly Philodendron brandtianum:  http://www.tropicos.org/Name/2103366

I'm still trying to find a specimen of the real Philodendron variifolium so if any of you have a plant that looks like the the one in these photos please drop me a line.


I was able to get a short description of Philodendron variifolium from the Kew's CATE Araceae:  http://www.cate-araceae.org/index.do;jsessionid=96982249A0181F1EB1E74E6CEB9841D4

LEAVES: Petiole terete, 20-25 cm long, shortly and narrowly sheathed in the lower part. Blade thinly coriaceous, shape decidedly diverse, cordate-oblong or sagittate-oblong, rarely hastate or hastate-oblong, apex with a 1-1.5 cm long cuspid, 20-26 cm long, 6-7 cm wide halfway; posterior lobes very short and very obtuse or elongate-oblong obtuse, separated by a short, wide, very open sinus, apex curved upwards; the posterior ribs in hastate blades are weak, horizontal, curving upwards in a sigmoid-curve, lateral veins of the anterior lobe all sub-equal.

If you read this closely you'll see it does not describe the plant most growers call Philodendron variifolium.



Steve






S*@aol.com wrote:
Steve,
 
I have EXOTICA 10 and I am looking at the photo of
Philodendron variifolium.
 
NOTHING like the link you gave.
 
Very hard to judge the scale, but it is shaped like the heart-leaf
climbers with whiter or lighter shading between the veins.
 
Does that help?
 
Alison
 
In a message dated 11/10/2009 12:43:43 A.M. Central Standard Time, S*@ExoticRainforest.com writes:
Also, if anyone has a copy of Graf's TROPICA or EXOTICA would you check and see if the plant on this page is shown in either of those books as being Philodendron variifolium?  For some time I've been trying to track down where this error originated although I am aware a beautiful plant was displayed some years ago at an IAS show and Sale that was incorrectly tagged.  Shortly after that happened Dr. Croat explained the name was incorrect and the correct name was in fact Philodendron brandtianum.
 

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