Shingler ID - Page 4

ExoticRainforest · #31 (**permalink**) 02-09-2010, 04:53 AM

In response to a post I made earlier on this thread regarding Scindapsus pictus this just arrived from aroid botanist Pete Boyce in Malaysia regarding the characteristics of that species. I've added some notes to help those that don't speak "botanese". I realize this is somewhat technical but Harry can "translate" anything that is not clear. I think parts of the second paragraph are very important so I've underlined them.

Thanks for allowing me to briefly intrude on your forum! By the way, this species does not remain small and can easily grow to 6 to 8 inches in the wild (15 to 20cm). It is also highly variable and can take on many color variations and forms.

Steve Lucas
Exotic Rainforest private botanical garden Rare tropical plant and aroid collection

Scindapsus pictus

Important characteristics include a minutely warty stem (the stem is the main axis of the plant, not the support for any single leaf), with older sections drying distinctively orange-brown and the leaves with a matte but scintillating or iridescent surface generated by refractive cells in the epidermis. (Dried specimens are more important to a positive ID than a living specimen since characteristics can be seen on a dried plant that are not apparent in a living specimen).

The juvenile and pre-adult leaves are broadly obelliptic (both oblong and eliptic) with cordate (heart shaped) bases, and somewhat oblique (slanting sideways); juvenile leaves are often, but by no means always, strikingly variegated with irregular silvery grey spots. In natural habitat the pre-adult stage climbs high into the canopy with the leave oppressed (closely pressed) to the climbing surface. The adult stage has sickle-shaped (falcate) leaves that lose their iridescent quality, and the stems hang free to form substantial curtains.

Flowering occurs at the tips of the pendent (downward hanging) adult stems, with the inflorescence solitary and erect by twisting of the peduncle (support of an inflorescence) on the shoot tip.

About the only species that can be confused with Scindapsus pictus is Scindapsus lucens. This also has minutely warty stems and obelliptic, cordate-based leaves, but these are a pale grey or green in colour, glossy (not scintillating / iridescent) and further are conspicuously bullate (bullate means warty) between the primary lateral veins. (The primaries are the major veins) The leaf shape does not alter as plants reach maturity.

In habitat Scindapsus lucens climbs to only a few metres, flowers on short, lateral shoots arising from the climbing stems, and does not produce curtains of free stems from the canopy.

EricM · #32 (**permalink**) 02-09-2010, 04:56 PM

here are some more shots of the plant. I only have a point and shoot camera and no photography skills and no zoom lens, so the focus is crap.

I got this plant as a Scindapsus sp. and had to wait about a year to get a cutting with 3 leaves on it. I put it in the tank you see in the photos and within the first couple of months it dropped two leaves. The last leaf finally fell off about a year later. I then buried the rhizome/stem in the moss. About a year later the plant started growing and it has moved up the glass in the last 5 months.

the first is the belly shot
second is the plant
third there is a dime placed for size scale

thanks
Eric

james67 · #33 (**permalink**) 02-09-2010, 05:07 PM

no ideas, but if it ever grows big enough for some cuttings i have some suggestions on where to send them

james

frogparty · #34 (**permalink**) 02-09-2010, 05:09 PM

you knew it was a scindapsus all along?

james67 · #35 (**permalink**) 02-09-2010, 05:15 PM

the leaves look very small and the growth habit seems different to me. (than the pictus it looks just like)

james

Frogtofall · #36 (**permalink**) 02-09-2010, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frogparty

you knew it was a scindapsus all along?

Haha! Thats what I was thinking too.

It still doesn't look like S. pictus though!!

Now it looks more like the M. dubia pics we've seen.

Haha!!

harrywitmore · #37 (**permalink**) 02-09-2010, 05:18 PM

I'm still having a very hard time with Scindapsus. Is the stem warty like Peter mentioned. I would call the stem on mine pebbly though.

EricM · #38 (**permalink**) 02-09-2010, 05:23 PM

That's not what I said, I acquired it as a Scindapsus sp. and after consulting the source he thought it could be M. dubia. So really I don't know and still don't, that is why I placed the shot here to see what people think, obviously from Steve's posts even the aroiders need more than juvenile plants to tell what something might be.

I have asked the person I got the plant from if it is ok to name him but so far I haven't gotten a response. This is just pure courtesy and not that I like churning the pot with "mystery" or the fact that I need attention. Just trying to ID a plant.

Thanks
ERic