POTHOS. TARO VINE. PHILODENDRON
Scindapsus aureus Linden
(Pothos aureus Linden)
The huge green and gold leaved creepers which envelop so many coconut and other trees are called Taro Vine or Pothos by the local people while they are often called Philodendron by newcomers. The real Philodendron and Pothos are closely related and once were botanically mixed. Probably the name Taro Vine was applied because the large leaves suggest those of the Taro, which is also a relative. Pothos clings to its support with strong, woody roots which, however, do not draw nourishment from the host plant, since it is not a parasite. In the sun, under normal conditions the leaves are marked with gold, but when the vine grows in the dark they remain green and small, seeming almost a different plant. In this form it is often grown in water indoors.
It is a member of the Arum family and a native of the Solomon islands. ([Plate XVI])
CALADIUM. VARIEGATED-LEAVED A’PES
Caladium bicolor Ventonat
Shady tropical gardens often make use of the colored Caladiums to give color and they are also frequently seen growing in pots. The heart-shaped leaves of these plants are marked with red and light green in almost endless variations and designs, so that they become a specialist’s hobby. Some are blotched with red and white; others have designs that are as fine as lace. The plants grow from tubers, several leaves pushing up on long slender stems. During part of the year these leaves die back and the plant rests. Caladiums are members of the Arum family and natives of tropical South America. ([Plate XVI])
MONSTERA VINE
Monstera deliciosa Liebmann
Large curious leaves with many natural holes in them, characterize the Monstera vine which is often seen in Honolulu. On mature plants the leaves are very large, thick, green and glossy. They tend to a pinnate form, and holes in the leaves continue the openings between the veins. The plant grows slowly, clinging by aerial roots to a support. Some of these roots hang down string-like, toward the ground.
Under favorable conditions the plant bears large, pinkish flowers, in general form like those of the A’pe illustrated on [Plate XVI]. The spathe is large, pinkish, thick, soft and flesh-like in texture. It covers the spadix like a tent, but falls off in a few days. The spadix holds the inconspicuous, densely packed flowers which develop into many small berries, closely packed together, so that the entire fruit, when mature, resembles a large greenish cone. Its flavor is thought to be like that of pineapples and bananas, probably inspiring the specific name of deliciosa.
This plant is a native of Mexico and Guatemala and a member of the Arum family. ([Plate XVI])