''Thaumatophyllum adamantinum'' is a plant in the genus '' Thaumatophyllum'', in the family Araceae. It is native to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

, namely to Southeast

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, but is also cultivated as a houseplant 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 (often also called a 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 ...

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 This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

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 Peduncle may refer to: *Peduncle (botany), a stalk supporting an inflorescence, which is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed *Peduncle (anatomy), a stem, through which a mass of tissue is attached to a body **Peduncle (art ...

, 6.4-11.4 cm single leaf surrounding the

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

(called a

spathe In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

), 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 Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s. Berries are oblong and generate 2.5mm long oblong

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

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

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

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, peat moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store wa ...

Toxicology

Like their relative '' Philodendron'', '' Thaumatophyllum'' are

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. 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 figuratively, with a broa ...

ous to

vertebrate Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () ( chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, ...

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 . It forms hydrates , where ''n'' varies from 1 to 3. Anhydrous and all hydrated forms are colorless or white. The monohydrate ...

crystals in raphide 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