formerly known as philodendron selloum, this guy is now a part of a new genus: thaumatophyllum. for more information, please read below. i have a large thaumathophyllum selloum (#jmthaumatophyllumselloumi) and a smaller one pictured below. i received this plant as a cutting at the end of 2017 from the family of one of my dearest friends whom i met at the faculty where i did my phd. it was taken off a mother plant that has been with them for over a decade. progress shots are shown below & can also be found via #jmthaumatophyllumselloumii on instagram. to me, it demonstrates that with some tlc & hope anything is possible ✌🏼
history
these guys are native to south america. its distinguishing feature is its tree-like base. this plant used to be under the philodendron genus. according to sakuragui and colleagues (2018), based on molecular, morphological and cytological evidence a subgenus of philodendrons, meconostigma, are distinct to other philodendrons. as such, they proposed the recognition of a new genus, thaumatophyllum schott. the journal article can be read here.
did you know?
the trunk of t. selloum is pretty thick & woody. the trunks are characterized by scars from leaves dropping, which resemble eyes.
this plant produces aerial roots that absorb water and nutrients.
care tips
- bright, indirect light from an east-facing window where it gets a bit of direct am sun
- i had a larger version of this plant out on my balcony over summer
- water thoroughly when the potting medium is dry
- propagate via stem cuttings with at least two nodes or division of basal offshoots
lostinplantopia 