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  I need to borrow a photo!
From: ExoticRainforest <Steve at ExoticRainforest.com> on 2010.08.23 at 04:05:42(21303)
I have a page on my website that I have been researching for
several years. I need a photo of a large group of Spathiphyllum
(Peace lilies) growing in water as they do in nature. I don't care if
the photo is from a botanical garden or was taken in South or Central
America but I would love to know the species shown in the photo. If
that is not possible, please show it us us anyway.

Every time I try to explain to folks on one of two plant discussion
sites these plants love water I get blasted! Dr. Croat told me himself
these species are "water hogs" and thanks to Pete Boyce I have
collected and read all the papers I can find that explain how they grow
in nature. The only paper I can't find is George Bunting's paper which
is now close to 30 years old. If you have it in PDF format, I'd love
to have a copy.

I grow a group of Spathiphyllum in a 55 gallon aquarium under very
bright light (330 watt) and they grow great, There roots are in no
soil at all, just inside plastic cups made for mounting plants for this
purpose. The leaves commonly grow so high they begin to block the
lights so we are constantly removing them.

People refuse to even look at my photos if they believe these species
love to grow in a dry pot of regular potting soil in a dark corner and
be watered once every other week. I am constantly told they should not
be watered until they are begging for a drink! That makes no sense for
a tropical plant species and neither does dark light due to the
requirement for photosynthesis to produce their own food. Yep, I fully
understand they also grow naturally in shade but a great deal of the
colony lives in brighter light and if I understand it correctly they
are able to share nutrition through their rhizomes.

Here is the page I would like to post the photo on and I will gladly
credit you as desired or your institution if you are with a botanical
garden. I know the New York Botanical Garden once had such a display
but I don't know if it still exists. I would really like the photos in
color but if black and white is all you have send them anyway.

href="http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Spathiphyllum%20Clevelandii%20%20pc.htm">http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Spathiphyllum%20Clevelandii%20%20pc.htm

People complain on the internet all the time that their plants aren't
doing well but when porous soil is discussed and any mention of water
and light is made some people just go ballistic and refuse to listen
(not counting the "nice" things they say). I have a second large
colony in my atrium that is now over 20 years old that spread a full
three feet and the rhizomes are thick.

I would really appreciate your assistance! If you have more than a
single photo please post them here or send me a note. By the way, the
pair of angles recently laid eggs and we had to give away most of the
babies once they got to the size of a nickle. Two babies now live in
the tank as well. You can see the spathes at the top of the tank. The
"Peace lilies" love to grow in water!

Steve Lucas

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From: santoury at aol.com on 2010.08.23 at 04:21:45(21304)
That's a gorgeous setup!

-----Original Message-----

From: ExoticRainforest

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From: Brian Williams <pugturd at windstream.net> on 2010.08.23 at 04:34:27(21306)
Steve I have to agree that the Spathiphyllums do love water I have had
them growing in wet conditions for years. I think that their may be some
truth to both sides. Your plant looks great and healthy but your water
is probably slightly oxygenated and very warm. Other who may have them
growing in stagnate or less oxygenated water would get much different
results. I have found this to be the same with even water loving aroids
like Urospatha and Cytrosperma species. If the water is heated
oxygenated and moving you have a perfect environment for them. Another
complaint in the aquatic world would be the fact that Spathiphyllums
would not survive under water for long periods of time like Lagenadra or
Anubias. I just recently expanded my collection on these and some
cryptos. So far they are doing well under constant misting.
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From: "Marek Argent" <abri1973 at wp.pl> on 2010.08.23 at 20:13:00(21311)
Dear Steve,

I have many aroids in a 200 l (44 gal) tank, they grow under 2x30W AQUA GLO fluorescent light.

Spathiphyllum doesn't need so much light,

my 2 plants grow on a northern window and they bloom all year long.

I don't know how it is in USA, in Europe almost all Spathiphyllum plants available in shops are cultivars and hybrids of S. wallisii. I have a collection of photos scanned from various
catalogues, books and magazines, for me they all show the same plant, just look:

http://www.wschowa.com/abrimaal/araceum/spathiphyllum/cvars.htm

The only cultivars I can identify are 'Domino' or 'Gemini' - with variegated leaves,

'Sensation' - the largest one and 'Chopin' - very small with green spathe tips.

There are also yellow leaved cultivars,

but their inflorescences look the same, so they must come from one species (S. wallisii),

S. floribundum and other species inflorescences are different.

Photos of pure species you may see here:

http://www..aroidpictures.fr/GENRES/spathiphyllum.html

Best, Marek

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From: ExoticRainforest <Steve at ExoticRainforest.com> on 2010.08.25 at 13:29:06(21320)
Thanks Bryan. I agree but I also have great results with them in my
large atrium where they grow in perpetually damp soil due to the
overhead misting system. The trick, as far as i am concerned, is the
porous soil that can breathe and allow oxygen to constantly reach the roots.

Steve

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From: ExoticRainforest <Steve at ExoticRainforest.com> on 2010.08.25 at 13:31:48(21321)
We welcome anyone that wants to see it along with the atrium! Just
come on down!

Steve

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From: "Nancy Greig" <ngreig at hmns.org> on 2010.08.25 at 15:08:14(21323)
I am very familiar with Spathiphyllum friedrichsthalii in Costa Rica.
It grows in open areas (large rainforest gaps and in swampy fields) in full
sunlight, and usually in several inches of water. If you do a google
image search for Spathiphyllum friedrichstahlii
you will see a “flickr” photo – that photo is of the “swamp”
at La Selva Biological Station. The people in the photo are standing on
the boardwalk that leads through the swamp, which is flooded with several
inches of water for most of the year (except at the height of the dry
season). The dominant plant in the swamp, as you’ll see in the
photo, is S. friedrichsthalii.

Nancy Greig

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From: ExoticRainforest <Steve at ExoticRainforest.com> on 2010.08.25 at 17:09:42(21325)
Thanks a bunch Nancy! I'm checking now.

Steve

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From: RAYMOMATTLA at cs.com on 2010.08.27 at 04:21:19(21330)
Steve, a few years ago I got rid of a bunch of hybrid Spathiphyllum that had become kind of weedy in places on my greenhouse floor. Most of it was discarded but I wanted to save one piece. I literally threw a plant into a tub that I grow submersed aquatics (Urospatha, Lasia, etc.) and the plant never looked as good! Meanwhile, S. cannifolium droops if it not watered on a daily basis. Maybe I should throw some into that tub!

Thanks,

Michael Mattlage

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From: ExoticRainforest <Steve at ExoticRainforest.com> on 2010.08.27 at 14:11:51(21333)
Thanks Michael. I think more of us should throw them in a tub! All of
mine that are in water grow great with little fuss.

Steve

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