International Aroid Society

Steve, did you not seethe picture taken from Tropica which I sent you immediately upon seeing yourrequest? John.

From: aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com[mailto:aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com] OnBehalf Of ExoticRainforest
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 20099:01 AM
To: Discussion of aroids
Subject: Re: [Aroid-l]Philodendron variifolium Schott

Thanks Alison. If we can get Dr. Croat torespond I believe he would say this is just another of the multiple photoerrors in Mr. Graf's books. I am personally aware of quite a fewincluding the plant he calls "Philodendron cannifolium" which iscorrectly Philodendron martianum. I doubt it will ever happen but aroids should totally drop the use ofthe 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. vonMartius for whom Philodendron martianumwas 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 looksnothing 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 tofind a specimen of the real Philodendronvariifolium so if any of you have a plant that looks like the theone 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=3D96982249A0181F1EB1E74E6CEB9841D4

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

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

Steve

STARSELL@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 likethe 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. CentralStandard Time, Steve@ExoticRainforest.comwrites:

Also, if anyone has a copy of Graf's TROPICA orEXOTICA would you check and see if the plant on this page is shown in either ofthose books as being Philodendron variifolium? For some time I've beentrying to track down where this error originated although I am aware abeautiful plant was displayed some years ago at an IAS show and Sale that was incorrectlytagged. Shortly after that happened Dr. Croat explained the name wasincorrect and the correct name was in fact Philodendronbrandtianum.

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