Phytonica

Do people still like Scindapsus??

The warmer weather is making these guys grow like race horses!

Comment your favorite variety!! 🌱

Fresh arrival alert 🌿

We just got a new hot shipment of plants !

Meet Piper ‘Timika’, a rare beauty hailing from Timika, West Papua, Indonesia.

Known for its deep grey shimmer and exotic origin, this plant is a true collector’s gem ✨

🌱Syngonium ‘Black Velvet’?🌱

A New Discovery in Progress…

For several years we have been cultivating and sharing this plant under the assumption that it was a form of Syngonium, a conclusion we hoped to confirm once it produced an inflorescence.

Earlier this season we were fortunate to observe a flowering event. However, the structure of the inflorescence did not correspond with any known Syngonium. To be thorough we compared it against descriptions of Caladium and Zomicarpa species, but again the traits did not align.

Surprisingly, when examining the genus Xanthosoma, we found that the floral characteristics closely matched. After further review we observed a strong resemblance to Xanthosoma mariae. While this does not yet constitute a definitive identification, as formal measurements and DNA sequencing will be necessary, it strongly suggests that what we have been calling Syngonium Black Velvet is in fact a representative of Xanthosoma.

We recognize that many of you have acquired this plant under its previous name, and we want to emphasize that this is not a matter of misrepresentation but rather the natural progression of botanical study. Plant taxonomy is an evolving science and discoveries like this highlight how much there is still to learn.

At present the most cautious designation would be Xanthosoma sp nov Black Velvet or possibly Xanthosoma aff mariae. As further testing is completed we will continue to share updates and work towards a formal identification.

This has been an exciting journey of discovery, and we are grateful to have such an engaged community to share it with.

Here we have -

Anthurium aff. effusilobum ‘red petiole’💃

This is a larger variety of anthurium with beautiful waxy & corrugated leaves! The petioles are a nice blushing red and the emergent leaves are green/peach🌱

Such a beautiful and underrated anthurium. Stay tuned for some more Anthurium posts!!

Bucephalandra ‘Ulu Mahakam’ 🌀🏝️

- A rheophytic species endemic to the Ulu Mahakam region of East Kalimantan, Borneo. It naturally colonizes moist, shaded rock surfaces along riverbanks and cascades, where it anchors via a creeping rhizome. This species exhibits coriaceous, ovate - lanceolate leaves with a subtle iridescence, particularly under high humidity. Cultivation requires consistent moisture, high humidity, and good air circulation.

This is very unique and possibly a new species entirely!

- Jebriel / Phytonica

Blister Variegated !
Anthurium x (Carla x Red Crystallinum)

This is a unique lava drip like mutation .

🚨
Piper ulceratum !

This unique Piper species has very corrugated leaves with cilated trichomes !

Eight Months In – Still Holding Strong

Back in February, I shared the story of this Lagenandra meeboldii and its unpredictable journey through tissue culture. At the time, I was cautiously optimistic ; the variegation had just begun to show consistency after months of backtracking and careful pruning.

Now, three months later, I’m happy to report that the variegation has continued across every new leaf.

While that’s an encouraging sign, I’m still keeping a close eye on it. This is, after all, still a very young plant. Until it reaches a more mature stage, it’s too early to confirm whether the variegation is fully stable or simply holding for now. But the progress is promising, and watching it evolve has been incredibly rewarding.

Plant development can be slow and uncertain, but sometimes, patience really does pay off.

– Jebriel Houdroj / Phyto Tropics

Wow !! This Homalomena sp. ‘Sekadau’
‘broad leaf’ form is huge!

Dioscorea sp. ‘discolor’ 💃

🚨Anthurium Hybrid Update!

I’ve been closely monitoring the progress of my latest Anthurium sp. hybrid:
(Zara x Dark Forgetii) x (Red Magnificum x Antoloki) — aka Skeleton Babies II.

I’m excited to report that it just pushed out a new soil leaf, showing promising vigor and healthy development. The leaf morphology is already displaying some intriguing traits inherited from both parent lines. I’m particularly hopeful that this batch of seedlings will produce at least two inflorescences, allowing me to cross them again and work toward stabilizing the genetics.

My ultimate goal is to establish consistent phenotypic traits, which would allow for eventual registration as a cultivar. With stabilized genetics, this hybrid could potentially display unique foliage characteristics, improved vigor, and distinct floral features.

Best Regards !

- Jebriel Houdroj / Phyto Tropics