[Edit this paragraph] Basic overview

Scientific name: Philodendron andreanum

Alias: Emerald, Camptotheca acuminata

Family and genus: Araceae, Alocasia.

Originated in Colombia, it is widely cultivated in southern China. Sexual preference for warm, humid and semi-cloudy environment requires rich humus. Loose and well-drained soil conditions.

(1) Morphological characteristics:

Perennial evergreen vines. The stems have aerial roots, can climb and rise, and the leaves are thick, long-stalked, oblong and arrow-shaped, and some are as long as 1 m, green and shiny, with yellow halo. The flowers are unisexual, the spathe is fleshy, yellow or red, and the inflorescence is slightly shorter than the spathe and grows upright.

Camptotheca acuminata grows by climbing, with beautiful plant shape and green seasons. It is a beautiful potted foliage plant for decorating home halls, rooms and venues. Warm areas can be planted outdoors in the open field and planted around scaffolding and fences as greening materials. In addition, it can also be used as a decorative material for bottle plugs or bonsai.

Common cultivated varieties are:

P. bipinnotifidum, also known as split-leaf vine green velvet.

P.cannifolium.

(2) cultivation:

Generally, it is placed indoors in a place with scattered light for maintenance, and it can be placed under a shade shed for maintenance in summer; Sufficient light is required in winter.

The optimum growth temperature is18 ~ 22℃; It can safely overwinter at the temperature above 14℃.

Water often during the growing season. In summer, we should often spray water on the leaves and the ground to keep the basin moist and improve the air humidity; Control watering in winter and keep it moist.

Apply thin liquid fertilizer once every 2 weeks. Potted plants often use loose, humus-rich, ventilated and well-drained turf or sandy loam as culture soil.

(3) Reproduction:

Seeding method, cutting method and layering method can be used for propagation.

Sowing method: fresh seeds of the current year must be used for sowing, and the propagation speed is slow.

Cutting method; Select the stem segment of single-bud eye or double-bud eye at the stem end as cuttings, insert them into the pot, shade and moisturize, and they can take root soon.

Layering method: air layering method is mainly used, which is easy to take root and propagate quickly.

(4) Pests and diseases:

Diseases include anthracnose, bacterial leaf rot, gray mold, leaf spot, root rot and South American wilt. The common pests are mealybugs, mites, scale insects and thrips.

Camptotheca acuminata is a creeping plant of the genus Camptotheca in Araceae. Its leaves are peculiar and changeable, its aerial roots are slender and dense, its posture is swaying, and it is very shade-tolerant. If it is placed indoors, it makes people feel like entering a tropical rain forest. It is a large foliage plant that is very popular among people at present. There are two famous varieties widely cultivated. One is Ruby Camptotheca acuminata, whose leaves are halberd-shaped, dark green, with purple luster, 20-30 cm long and10-18 cm wide; The new shoots are red, the petioles are purple, the leaf sheaths of young leaves are rose red, the stems and branches are thick, and there are aerial roots on the nodes. The other is the emerald taro, which is similar in shape to the former one, but the stem and petiole, tender tip and leaf tip are all green. The plants of this genus are also commonly cultivated, such as Camptotheca acuminata, Camptotheca palmata, Camptotheca frog, and Camptotheca velutipes, all of which have high ornamental value.

Camptotheca acuminata is native to tropical rain forest in America, and likes high temperature, high humidity and shady environment. It does not require much light, and can grow well indoors in the dark and in the spring and autumn sunshine. It is not cold-tolerant, and its wintering temperature should be above 10℃ in winter. It likes to grow in fertile and slightly acidic soil with good drainage. Camptotheca acuminata is strong, so it is not difficult to maintain it by mastering the two factors of temperature and humidity.

Potted plants can be used with 2 parts of humus soil and sawdust or horse manure. According to its habit of aerial rooting and creeping, it is often cultivated in the form of totem poles. The way to cultivate this form is: firstly, select a wooden stick about 1 m, wrap brown skin or moss around it, tie it tightly with lead wire, and then plant it in a suitable pot as an upright post. Plant 3-4 seedlings around the column, tie them slightly, and often spray water on the column to make its aerial roots stick into brown skin and grow up along the column. After the seedlings grow, tie them in time and arrange them according to your own requirements and preferences, so that the distribution of stems and vines is reasonable and beautiful.

This flower grows fastest when the temperature is 25-32℃ and the appropriate humidity is above 80%, so it should be watered frequently from June to September to keep the soil moist, and sprayed with water1-2 times a day to increase the humidity. However, it is better to avoid sun exposure and give bright scattered light appropriately during this period. During the growth period, according to its growth, or 10 days or half a month or so, cake fertilizer or chemical fertilizer can be applied once. In winter, water should be reduced to keep the soil slightly moist, but the water should not be too cold. If the dust on the leaves can be wiped off with lukewarm water, the leaves will be brighter and greener.

Indoor or balcony, because the air humidity is low, a large sand table can be made to keep the sand moist, and the potted Camptotheca acuminata can be partially buried in the sand, which can improve the defect of low air humidity and is more conducive to its growth.

The propagation of this flower and grass generally adopts cutting method. As long as a leaf is taken from the stem vine1-2 node in the growing season and inserted into the sand bed, it is easy to take root and survive. For older plants, because the lower leaf falls off, which affects the appreciation, the method of short cutting can be used to promote axillary bud germination, and the cut stem can also be used for cutting, killing two birds with one stone.