''Zamioculcas'' is a genus of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the family
Araceae
The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). Also ...
, containing the single species ''Zamioculcas zamiifolia''. It is a
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
, native to eastern
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, from southern
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
to northeastern
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. Common names include Zanzibar gem, ZZ plant, Zuzu plant, aroid palm, eternity plant and emerald palm. It is grown as an
ornamental plant
Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...
, mainly for its attractive glossy foliage and easy care.
Dutch nurseries started wide-scale, commercial propagation of the plant around 1996. It was first described as ''Caladium zamiifolium'' by
Loddiges
The Loddiges family (not uncommonly mis-spelt ''Loddige'') managed one of the most notable of the eighteenth and nineteenth century plant nurseries that traded in and introduced exotic plants, trees, shrubs, ferns, palms and orchids into Europea ...
in 1829, but moved to his new genus ''Zamioculcas'' by
Heinrich Wilhelm Schott
Heinrich Wilhelm Schott (7 January 1794 in Brünn (Brno), Moravia – 5 March 1865 at Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna) was an Austrian botanist well known for his extensive work on aroids (Araceae).
He studied botany, agriculture and chemistry at ...
and given its established name, ''Zamioculcas zamiifolia'', by
Adolf Engler
Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler (25 March 1844 – 10 October 1930) was a German botanist. He is notable for his work on plant taxonomy and phytogeography, such as ''Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien'' (''The Natural Plant Families''), edited with ...
.
The roots of the plants are
rhizomatous
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
and have the ability to store moisture, thus aiding the plants in their drought resistance. For this reason, the plant should be watered only when it is dry, to avoid overwatering. A commonly-held notion among gardeners is “If you water the ZZ plant more than you pay your rent, it’s too much” (I.e.; once a month, possibly twice, watering is more than sufficient). They also require superior drainage, with lots of chunky, rocky and inert materials mixed into their soil. They’re known to survive in relatively dark, indoor areas of homes and buildings, and can live in full shade to indirect sunlight. However, lower light is not optimal in most cases; insufficient amounts of sunlight can result in leaves lengthening and/or falling off, yellowing (
chlorosis
In botany, chlorosis is a condition in which leaves produce insufficient chlorophyll. As chlorophyll is responsible for the green color of leaves, chlorotic leaves are pale, yellow, or yellow-white. The affected plant has little or no ability to ...
), and generally uneven or disproportionate growth (as the plant stretches towards a light source).
Etymology
The botanical name ''Zamioculcas'' derives from, on the one hand, the superficial similarity of its foliage to that of the
cycad
Cycads are seed plants that typically have a stout and woody (ligneous) trunk (botany), trunk with a crown (botany), crown of large, hard, stiff, evergreen and (usually) pinnate leaves. The species are dioecious, that is, individual plants o ...
genus ''
Zamia
''Zamia'' is a genus of cycad of the family Zamiaceae, native to North America from the United States (in Georgia and Florida) throughout the West Indies, Central America, and South America as far south as Bolivia. The genus is considered to be ...
''; on the other hand, its kinship to the fellow ''
Araceae
The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). Also ...
'' genus ''
Colocasia
''Colocasia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to southeastern Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Some species are widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical and subtropical regions.
The names elephant-ear ...
'', whose name comes from the word “” or “” (in an ancient Middle Eastern dialect), and which is named ''qolqas'' ( arz, قلقاس, ) in
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
. Botanical
synonyms
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
include ''Caladium zamiaefolium, Zamioculcas loddigesii'' and ''Z. lanceolata''.
Cultivars
*''Zamioculcas zamiifolia'' 'HANSOTI13,' commercially known as 'Zenzi'
*''Zamioculcas zamiifolia'' 'Dowon,' commercially known under Costa Farm's trademark 'Raven'
*''Zamioculcas zamiifolia'' 'Super Nova'
Description
It is a
herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of t ...
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
growing to tall, from a stout underground,
succulent
In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...
rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
. It is normally
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...
, but becomes
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
during
drought
A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
, surviving drought due to the large
potato
The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...
-like rhizome that stores water until rainfall resumes. The
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 ...
are
pinnate
Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...
, long, with 6–8 pairs of leaflets long; they are smooth, shiny, and dark green. The stems of these pinnate leaves are thickened at the bottom.
The
flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s are produced in a small bright yellow to brown or bronze
spadix long, partly hidden among the leaf bases; flowering is from mid summer to early autumn.
''Zamioculcas zamiifolia'' contains an unusually high water contents of leaves (91%) and
petioles (95%)
and has an individual leaf longevity of at least six months, which may be the reason it can survive extremely well under interior low light levels for four months without water.
Cultivation
It may survive outdoors as long as the temperature does not fall below around ; though best growth is between , while high temperatures give an increase in leaf production. In temperate regions, it is grown as a
houseplant
A houseplant, sometimes known as a pot plant, potted plant, or an indoor plant, is an ornamental plant that is grown indoors. As such, they are found in places like residences and offices, mainly for decorative purposes. Common houseplants are us ...
. Overwatering may destroy this plant through
tuber
Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing ...
rot. Bright, indirect light is best: some sun will be tolerated.
''Zamioculcas zamiifolia'' may be propagated by leaf cuttings: typically, the lower ends of detached leaves are inserted into a moist gritty compost and the pot enclosed in a polythene bag. Though the leaves may well decay, succulent bulb-like structures should form in the compost and these may be potted up to produce new plants. The process may take upwards of one year. The plant can also be propagated by division. The plant impresses especially by the thick, dark green, shiny leaves. Due to its strong green leaves, it is especially suitable for open, bright rooms.
Usage in traditional medicine
Though little information is available, ''Z. zamiifolia'' is apparently used medicinally in the
Mulanje
Mulanje, formerly called Mlanje, is a town in the Southern Region of Malawi, close to the border with Mozambique, to the east. It is near the Mulanje Massif.
Location
The town of Mulanje lies along the M-2 highway from Thyolo to the west to t ...
District of
Malawi
Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...
and in the
East Usambara
The Usambara Mountains of northeastern Tanzania in tropical East Africa, comprise the easternmost mountain range, ranges of the Eastern Arc Mountains. The ranges of approximately long and about half that wide, are situated in the Lushoto Distr ...
mountains of Tanzania where juice from the leaves is used to treat earache.
In Tanzania a poultice of bruised plant material from ''Z. zamiifolia'' is used as a treatment of the inflammatory condition known as "mshipa".
Roots from ''Z. zamiifolia'' are used as a local application to treat ulceration by the
Sukuma people
The Sukuma are a Bantu ethnic group from the southeastern African Great Lakes region. They are the largest ethnic group in Tanzania, with an estimated 10 million members or 16 percent of the country's total population. Sukuma means "north" and ...
in north-western Tanzania.
Chemicals
''Zamioculcas zamiifolia'' contains acylated C-glycosylflavone
apigenin
Apigenin (4′,5,7-trihydroxyflavone), found in many plants, is a natural product belonging to the flavone class that is the aglycone of several naturally occurring glycosides. It is a yellow crystalline solid that has been used to dye wool.
S ...
6-C-(6″-O-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaroyl)- β-glucopyranoside)
Air purification
A 2014 study from the Department of Plant and Environmental Science at the
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...
shows that, in a laboratory setting, the plant is able to remove volatile organic compounds in this order of effectiveness: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene at a molar flux of around 0.01 mol/(m
2 day). The same study stated that any effectiveness on indoor environments is inconclusive.
Toxicity
''Zamioculcas zamiifolia'' is part of the family ''
Araceae
The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). Also ...
'', which includes many
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 genera, such as ''
Philodendron
''Philodendron'' is a large genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Araceae. , the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepted 489 species; other sources accept different numbers. Regardless of number of species, the gen ...
'', ''
Monstera
''Monstera'' is a genus of 59 species of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas.
Etymology
The genus is named from the Latin word for "monstrous" or "abnormal", and refers to the unusual leaves ...
'', ''
Anthurium
''Anthurium'' (; Schott, 1829) is a genus of about 1,000Mantovani, A. and T. E. Pereira. (2005)''Anthurium'' (section ''Urospadix''; subsection ''Flavescentiviridia'').''Rodriguesia'' 56(88), 145–60. species of flowering plants, the largest g ...
'', ''
Dieffenbachia
''Dieffenbachia'' , commonly known as dumb cane or leopard lily, is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is native to the New World Tropics from Mexico and the West Indies south to Argentina. Some species are widely cul ...
'', ''
Aglaonema
''Aglaonema'' is a genus of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae. They are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and New Guinea. '' and ''
Spathiphyllum
''Spathiphyllum'' is a genus of about 47 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas and southeastern Asia. Certain species of ''Spathiphyllum'' are commonly known as spath or pea ...
'', all of which contain insoluble
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 ...
.
An initial toxicological experiment, conducted by the
University of Bergen
The University of Bergen ( no, Universitetet i Bergen, ) is a research-intensive state university located in Bergen, Norway. As of 2019, the university has over 4,000 employees and 18,000 students. It was established by an act of parliament in 194 ...
in 2015, on extracts from ''Z. zamiifolia'' (using
brine shrimp
''Artemia'' is a genus of aquatic crustaceans also known as brine shrimp. It is the only genus in the family Artemiidae. The first historical record of the existence of ''Artemia'' dates back to the first half of the 10th century AD from Urmia La ...
as a lethality assay) did not indicate lethality to the shrimp, even at concentrations of extracts up to 1 mg/mL. The scientists conducting the experiment observed that, "…On the contrary, it could appear as though the extract contributed to improvements in the vitality of the larvae".
References
External links
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15312475
Monotypic Araceae genera
Flora of Africa
House plants
Succulent plants
Araceae
Low light plants