Philodendron - Philodendron

A cold-intolerant vine of the Araceae family (APG classification: Araceae). Approximately 500 species are distributed in tropical America and the West Indies, several dozen of which are used as ornamental plants. The flowers are solitary, have no perianth, and the spadix has no appendages. The ovary is multilocular and the leaves have parallel veins. It grows well in hot and humid environments, but dislikes strong light. It produces aerial roots from the nodes and climbs up other objects, so tree staghorn fern wood or similar is used as a support. There is a wide variety of beautiful leaf shapes and colors, and the following species are commonly cultivated.

P. andreanum Devans. is a species native to Colombia with beautiful foliage. The leaves are 50 cm long and elliptical-cordate. Young leaves are pale yellow-green to copper-green with a velvety sheen. Mature leaves are dark green and lose their sheen as they age. P. imbe Schott is a large species native to Brazil. The leaves are fleshy, oblong, 40-60 cm long, arrowhead-shaped at the base, dark green on top and pale yellow-green on the underside. A variant is the white-spotted Wariegatum. P. micans Schott is a slightly smaller species native to the Dominican Republic and Colombia. The leaves are 15-30 cm long and oblong-cordate. The upper surface is velvety and dark green-brown with a silvery-green midvein. The underside is pale yellow or pink, and the young stems are thin and red. P. oxycardium Schott is a small species native to Central America. The leaves are about 20 cm long, egg-shaped, heart-shaped, slightly thick, and green. The variety, P. phillyraeoides, has indistinct milky white spots all over the leaves. P. selloum K.Koch is native to Brazil and Paraguay. The leaves are 90 cm long, egg-shaped, and pinnately lobed. The upper lobes are further pinnately lobed, dark green, and have almost no vines. P. sodiroi hort. is a small species native to Brazil. The leaves are about 35 cm long, broad-hearted, with indented veins and wavy overall. They have beautiful silver-green spots on a green background. The bracts of the new shoots, the mid-veins on the underside of the leaves, and the base of the petiole are beautifully reddish brown.

[Yoshiyuki Uemura January 21, 2022]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

サトイモ科（APG分類：サトイモ科）の不耐寒性つる植物。熱帯アメリカ、西インド諸島に約500種が分布し、うち数十種が観葉植物として利用される。花は単生し、花被(かひ)はなく、肉穂花序には付属体がつかない。子房は多室で葉に平行脈がある。高温多湿でよく育ち、強光を嫌う。節から気根を出し、他物によじ登るので、ヘゴ材などを支柱として仕立てる。葉の形や色彩の変化に富み、美しいものが多く、次の各種がよく栽培される。

　ビロードカズラP. andreanum Devans.はコロンビア原産の美葉種。葉は長さ50センチメートルの楕円(だえん)状心臓形。若葉は淡黄緑から銅緑色でビロード光沢がある。成葉は暗緑色で、老化すると光沢を失う。ハゴロモカズラP. imbe Schottはブラジル原産の大形種。葉は肉厚で長さ40～60センチメートルの長卵形で、基部は矢じり形、表面は暗緑色、裏面は淡黄緑色。変種に白斑(しろふ)入りのワリエガートゥムがある。ヒメビロードカズラP. micans Schottはドミニカ、コロンビア原産のやや小形種。葉は長さ15～30センチメートルで長心臓形。表面はビロード光沢のある暗緑褐色で、中央脈は銀緑色。裏面は淡黄色か淡紅色で、若い茎は細くて赤い。ヒメカズラP. oxycardium Schottは中央アメリカ原産のやや小形種。葉は約20センチメートルの卵状心臓形、やや肉厚で緑色。変種のフイリヒメカズラは、葉の全面に不鮮明な乳白色のまだら斑が入る。ヒトデカズラP. selloum K.Kochはブラジル、パラグアイ原産。葉は長さ90センチメートル、卵形で羽状に全裂する。上部の裂片はさらに羽状に浅裂し、濃緑色で、つるはほとんど出ない。シロガネカズラP. sodiroi hort.はブラジル原産の小形種。葉は約35センチメートルの広心臓形で、葉脈がへこみ、全体に波打つ。緑色地に銀緑色の斑が入って美しい。また、新芽の包葉と葉裏の主脈と葉柄の基部は、紅褐色となり美しい。

［植村猶行　2022年1月21日］

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