''Thaumatophyllum adamantinum'' is a plant in the genus ''

Thaumatophyllum ''Thaumatophyllum'' (formerly ''Philodendron#Modern classification, Meconostigma'') is a genus of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae. Its species are native to northern (tropical) South America. Taxonomy The genus ''Thaumatophyllum'' ...

'', in the family

Araceae The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). Also ...

. It is native to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

, namely to Southeast

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, but is also cultivated as a

houseplant A houseplant, also known as a pot plant, potted plant, or indoor plant, is an ornamental plant cultivated indoors. for aesthetic or practical purposes. These plants are commonly found in House, homes, Office, offices, and various indoor spaces, w ...

in cooler climates. Previously ''Thaumatophyllum adamantinum'' was called ''Philodendron adamantinum'', until DNA sequencing determined it to belong to a different genus.

Growth

''Thaumatophyllum adamantinum''is a

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

that grows up to tall, and its adventitious roots can spread in all directions. It grows in the seasonally dry tropical biome. The stems grow both decumbent or erect and are both green and glossy. The leaves are glossy green, oval in shape, and have 3-5 laterally divided lobes. Leaves are widest as the midpoint, shorter both at the apex and at the base. While green, some leaves may be slightly pinkish near the petiole. Leaves are to in width.

Reproduction

''Thaumatophyllum adamantinum'' reproduces sexually through flowers and stamens. Flowers are inflorescent with a 2–5 cm peduncle, 6.4-11.4 cm single leaf surrounding the

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

(called a

spathe In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also look ...

), and a 5.5 cm-12.5 cm spadix. The spathe is green with a creamy white inner surface. Flowers have 5

staminode In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen, which means that it does not produce pollen.Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; ''A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent''; Published by Gerald Duckworth & Co ...

s and cylindrical

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s. Berries are oblong and generate 2.5mm long oblong

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s containing oily droplets. ''Thaumatophyllum adamantinum'' can be propagated by taking cuttings. With a sterilized sharp knife, cut off a section with multiple

aerial root Aerial roots are Root, roots growing above the ground. They are often Plant development#Adventitious structures, adventitious, i.e. formed from nonroot tissue. They are found in diverse plant species, including epiphytes such as orchids ('' ...

s and

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

at a sharp angle. The cutting can then be rooted in water, soil, or in

sphagnum moss ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store water, since ...

Toxicology

Like their relative '' Philodendron'', ''

'' are

poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...

ous to

vertebrate Vertebrates () are animals with a vertebral column (backbone or spine), and a cranium, or skull. The vertebral column surrounds and protects the spinal cord, while the cranium protects the brain. The vertebrates make up the subphylum Vertebra ...

s, but vary in their toxicity levels. They contain

calcium oxalate Calcium oxalate (in archaic terminology, oxalate of lime) is a calcium salt of oxalic acid with the chemical formula or . It forms hydrates , where ''n'' varies from 1 to 3. Anhydrous and all hydrated forms are colorless or white. The monohydr ...

crystals in

raphide Raphides ( ; singular ''raphide'' or ''raphis'') are needle-shaped crystals of calcium oxalate monohydrate ( prismatic monoclinic crystals) or calcium carbonate as aragonite ( dipyramidal orthorhombic crystals), found in more than 200 familie ...

bundles, which are poisonous and irritating. The sap may cause skin irritation.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q89256587 Epiphytes Garden plants House plants adamantinum Flora of Brazil