Franz Xaver · CC BY-SA 3.0
About
A popular and easy-to-care-for houseplant, *Spathiphyllum sp* is known for its attractive dark foliage and contrasting white or greenish-white flowers. It is a perennial evergreen that thrives in shaded, moist environments and is often grown in cultivated hybrids.
Field notes
Morphology
The plant features glossy, dark green, elliptical or lanceolate leaves, which can range from 10 to 64 cm long and 2.5 to 25.4 cm wide. The flowering structure consists of a spathe, which is elliptical or lanceolate and 10 to 30 cm long, partially surrounding a spadix. The spadix is a short, fleshy, greenish-white or cream structure covered in equal-sized flowers.
Distribution & habitat
Widespread in Central America and northern South America. Species are also found on Pacific islands, including Cocos Island and in Indonesia and the Philippines. They naturally grow on the forest floors of tropical humid forests, in shady, moist or wet areas along rivers and streams.
Cultivation notes
The species is popular as a houseplant and grows best in shade, requiring little sunlight. It prefers the soil to be kept moist, though watering is only necessary if the soil dries out. Optimal growth occurs in temperatures between 70 and 90 °F (21 and 32 °C).
History & etymology
The genus was formally described by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott in 1832, who named it after the Greek words for 'leaf spathe.' Schott redefined the genus in 1853, and later expanded it to 22 species in his Prodromus Systematis Aroidearum. George S. Bunting revised the genus in 1960, encompassing 36 species.
Habitat
- Altitude
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- Altitude Class
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Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
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