Schismatoglottis: My Aroid Obsession
I’m Ferb Vu, and like many plant enthusiasts, I’ve fallen head over heels for the captivating world of aroids. But within this vast and diverse family, one genus has truly captured my attention: Schismatoglottis. These fascinating plants, with their striking foliage and intriguing growth habits, have become a focal point of my collection, and I’m eager to share my passion with you.
Unveiling the Beauty of Schismatoglottis
Native to the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, Schismatoglottis are aroids that thrive in the humid understory. What sets them apart is their incredible diversity in leaf shape, size, and coloration. From velvety textures and intricate veining to shimmering metallic sheens and splashes of contrasting colors, each species offers a unique visual feast.
Unlike their close relatives, the Homalomena, Schismatoglottis lack a distinct fragrance. Instead, they entice with their sheer visual appeal. Imagine leaves shaped like elongated teardrops, slender lances, or even elegant hearts, each adorned with patterns that mimic rippling water, abstract art, or even animal prints. The diversity is simply astounding.
Exploring the Diversity: A Glimpse into the Species
With over 180 recognized species and new ones constantly being discovered, the world of Schismatoglottis is a treasure trove for collectors. Here are:
- Schismatoglottis acutangula Engl.
- Schismatoglottis acutifolia Engl.
- Schismatoglottis adducta S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis adoceta S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis ahmadii A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis amosyui S.Y.Wong, S.L.Low & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis angustifolia Alderw.
- Schismatoglottis antu S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis ardenii A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis asperata Engl.
- Schismatoglottis auyongii S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis baangongensis S.Y.Wong, Y.C.Hoe & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis barbata Engl.
- Schismatoglottis bauensis A.Hay & C.Lee
- Schismatoglottis belonis S.Y.Wong, Aisahtul & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis bifasciata Engl.
- Schismatoglottis bitaeniata Engl.
- Schismatoglottis bogneri A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis brevicuspis Hook.f.
- Schismatoglottis bulbifera H.Okada, H.Tsukaya & Y.Mori
- Schismatoglottis cadierei Buchet & Gagnep. ex S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis caesia S.Y.Wong, P.C.Boyce & Y.C.Hoe
- Schismatoglottis calyptrata (Roxb.) Zoll. & Moritzi
- Schismatoglottis camera-lucida P.C.Boyce & S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis canaliculata Engl.
- Schismatoglottis ciliata A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis clarae A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis clausula S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis clemensiorum A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis clivemarshii S.Y.Wong, P.C.Boyce & Kartini
- Schismatoglottis colocasioidea M.Hotta
- Schismatoglottis confinis S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis conoidea Engl.
- Schismatoglottis convolvula P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis cordifolia Ridl.
- Schismatoglottis crinitissima A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis crypta P.C.Boyce & S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis cyria P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis decipiens A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis dilecta S.Y.Wong, P.C.Boyce & S.L.Low
- Schismatoglottis diversicolor Alderw.
- Schismatoglottis djamuensis Engl.
- Schismatoglottis dulosa S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis ecaudata A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis edanoi A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis elegans A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis emarginata Engl.
- Schismatoglottis engleriana Alderw.
- Schismatoglottis erecta M.Hotta
- Schismatoglottis evelyniae P.C.Boyce & S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis eximia Engl.
- Schismatoglottis eymae A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis ferruginea Merr.
- Schismatoglottis fossae S.Y.Wong, P.C.Boyce & Aisahtul
- Schismatoglottis gaesa S.Y.Wong, Aisahtul & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis gampsospadix P.C.Boyce & S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis gangsai S.Y.Wong, Aisahtul & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis gephyra P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis giamensis S.Y.Wong, Y.C.Hoe & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis gillianiae P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis glauca Engl.
- Schismatoglottis grabowskii Engl.
- Schismatoglottis guabatuensis S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis gui P.C.Boyce & S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis hainanensis H.Li
- Schismatoglottis harmandii Engl.
- Schismatoglottis hayana Bogner & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis hayi S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis hellwigiana Engl.
- Schismatoglottis hendrikii S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis heterodoxa S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis hottae Bogner & Nicolson
- Schismatoglottis ifugaoensis S.Y.Wong, Bogner & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis iliata S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis imbakensis Kartini, S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis inculta Kurniawan & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis irrorata Engl.
- Schismatoglottis jelandii P.C.Boyce & S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis jitinae S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis klossii Ridl.
- Schismatoglottis larynx S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis latevaginata Engl.
- Schismatoglottis laxipistillata S.Y.Wong, P.C.Boyce & Y.C.Hoe
- Schismatoglottis lingua A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis liniae S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis longipes Miq.
- Schismatoglottis longispatha W.Bull
- Schismatoglottis lowiae S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis luzonensis Engl.
- Schismatoglottis maelii P.C.Boyce & S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis matangensis S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis mayoana Bogner & M.Hotta
- Schismatoglottis meriraiensis P.C.Boyce & S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis merrillii Engl.
- Schismatoglottis metallica S.Y.Wong, Koens & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis mindanaoana Engl.
- Schismatoglottis minuta Tandang & M.D.Angeles
- Schismatoglottis mira S.Y.Wong, P.C.Boyce & S.L.Low
- Schismatoglottis modesta Schott
- Schismatoglottis monoplacenta M.Hotta
- Schismatoglottis mons Kartini
- Schismatoglottis moodii A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis motleyana (Schott) Engl.
- Schismatoglottis multiflora Ridl.
- Schismatoglottis multinervia M.Hotta
- Schismatoglottis muluensis M.Hotta
- Schismatoglottis neoguineensis (Linden ex André) N.E.Br.
- Schismatoglottis nervosa Ridl.
- Schismatoglottis niahensis A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis nicolsonii A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis nieuwenhuisii Engl.
- Schismatoglottis pantiensis S.Y.Wong, P.C.Boyce & Y.C.Hoe
- Schismatoglottis parvifolia Alderw.
- Schismatoglottis patentinervia Engl.
- Schismatoglottis pectinervia A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis pellucida S.Y.Wong, P.C.Boyce & S.K.Chai
- Schismatoglottis penangensis Engl.
- Schismatoglottis persistens S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis petradoxa S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis petri A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis pichinensis P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis picta Schott
- Schismatoglottis platystigma M.Hotta
- Schismatoglottis plurivenia Alderw.
- Schismatoglottis pocong S.Y.Wong, S.L.Low & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis porpax S.Y.Wong, Kartini & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis potamophila Alderw.
- Schismatoglottis priapica S.Y.Wong, P.C.Boyce & Kartini
- Schismatoglottis prietoi P.C.Boyce, Medecilo & S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis pseudocalyptrata Alderw.
- Schismatoglottis puberulipes Alderw.
- Schismatoglottis pudenda A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis pulchra N.E.Br.
- Schismatoglottis pumila Hallier f. ex Engl.
- Schismatoglottis puncakborneensis P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis pusilla Engl.
- Schismatoglottis pyrrhias A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis ranchanensis S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis rejangica S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis reticosa S.Y.Wong, Koens & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis retinervia Furtado
- Schismatoglottis riparia Schott
- Schismatoglottis roh S.Y.Wong, Y.C.Hoe & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis roseopedes S.Y.Wong, P.C.Boyce & S.K.Chai
- Schismatoglottis roseospatha Bogner
- Schismatoglottis ruttenii Alderw.
- Schismatoglottis saafiei Kartini, P.C.Boyce & S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis samarensis A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis schottii Bogner & Nicolson
- Schismatoglottis scintillans Scherber. & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis scortechinii Hook.f.
- Schismatoglottis sejuncta A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis serratodentata S.Y.Wong, P.C.Boyce & S.K.Chai
- Schismatoglottis shaleicola P.C.Boyce & S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis silamensis A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis simonii S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis smaragdina S.Y.Wong, Aisahtul & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis sublaxiflora Alderw.
- Schismatoglottis subundulata (Zoll. ex Schott) Nicolson
- Schismatoglottis tahubangensis A.Hay & Hersc.
- Schismatoglottis tegorae P.C.Boyce & S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis tenuifolia Engl.
- Schismatoglottis tessellata S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis thelephora S.Y.Wong, P.C.Boyce & S.L.Low
- Schismatoglottis trifasciata Engl.
- Schismatoglottis trivittata Hallier
- Schismatoglottis trusmadiensis A.Hay & Mood
- Schismatoglottis tseui S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis turbata S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis ulusarikeiensis S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis unifolia A.Hay & P.C.Boyce
- Schismatoglottis vanvuurenii Alderw.
- Schismatoglottis venusta A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis viridissima A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis wahaiana Alderw.
- Schismatoglottis wallichii Hook.f.
- Schismatoglottis warburgiana Engl.
- Schismatoglottis winkleri Engl.
- Schismatoglottis wongii A.Hay
- Schismatoglottis zainuddinii Kartini, P.C.Boyce & S.Y.Wong
- Schismatoglottis zonata Hallier f.
Cultivating My Schismatoglottis Collection
As a dedicated plant enthusiast, I’ve curated a collection of Schismatoglottis that brings me immense joy. Creating the right environment is crucial for their well-being. I mimic their natural habitat by providing high humidity, well-draining soil, and bright, indirect light. Regular watering is essential, but I always ensure the soil dries slightly between waterings to prevent root rot.
One of the most rewarding aspects of growing Schismatoglottis is witnessing their growth and development. New leaves unfurl with an elegance that never ceases to amaze me. I find myself constantly observing their intricate patterns and textures, marveling at the artistry of nature.
The Allure of the Rare and Unusual
While I appreciate the beauty of common Schismatoglottis species, I’m particularly drawn to the rare and unusual varieties. These elusive gems, often discovered in remote corners of the rainforest, possess a unique allure. Their scarcity and distinctive characteristics make them highly sought after by collectors like myself.
The thrill of the hunt is undeniable. Scouring online forums, connecting with fellow enthusiasts, and even embarking on expeditions to nurseries and plant shows are all part of the journey. When I finally acquire a rare Schismatoglottis, the sense of accomplishment is immense.
A Shared Passion for Schismatoglottis
The beauty of the plant world lies in its ability to connect people. I’ve found a vibrant community of Schismatoglottis enthusiasts online and offline. We share our experiences, exchange tips and cuttings, and celebrate our successes together. This shared passion creates a sense of belonging and enriches my plant journey.
I believe that everyone can find joy in cultivating plants, and Schismatoglottis offer a unique and rewarding experience. Their captivating beauty, diversity, and relative ease of care make them an excellent choice for both novice and experienced plant lovers.
If you’re looking to add a touch of the exotic to your home, I highly recommend exploring the world of Schismatoglottis. You might just find yourself, like me, falling under their spell.