Rhaphidophora tetrasperma
| Rhaphidophora tetrasperma | |
 | |
| Classification | |
| Group: | Angiosperms |
|---|---|
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Araceae |
| Genus: | Rhaphidophora |
| Species: | R. tetrasperma |
| Classified: | Hook, 1893 |
| Growing | |
| Propagation: | From From seeds, cutting, layering |
| Adult size: | over 30 m (90 ft); ~ 2 m indoors |
| Lighting: | Medium |
| Watering: | Let the soil dry slightly before watering |
| Fertilization: | Monthly during active growth |
| Soil: | Well drained |
| Humidity: | High humidity preferred, low humidity tolerated |
| Other information | |
| Toxicity: | Toxic sap |
| Rarity: | Common |
| See more Rhaphidophora | |
Common names:
Mini-monstera, (incorrectly) Monstera minima, (incorrectly) Philodendron "Ginny", (incorrectly) Philodendron "Piccolo"
Rhaphidophora tetrasperma is a epiphytic plant of the Araceae family. Native to Thailand.
Contents
Name
Rhaphidophora is from the Greek 'rhaphis' meaning "needle" and 'phoreus' meaning "bearer" in reference to the calcium oxalate crystals present in the tissue of all Aroids.
Tetrasperma is from 'tetra' meaning “four” and 'sperma' meaning “seeded”
Characteristics
Foliage
R. tetrasperma is a plant that does best when allowed to climb. Given a wall or flat surface it will rapidly scale up it, using aerial roots to try and anchor it in place. It has large shiny leaves with four to seven splits per leaf depending on maturity.
Care
R. tetrasperma wants bright, indirect light. It can tolerate some direct light but avoid hot midday sun or the leaves will scorch.
Use a well draining soil mix (see aroid soil) and water thoroughly, allowing excess to drain. A waterlogged soil will lead to yellow leaves.
Common issues
Yellowing/dropping leaves
Yellowing leaves are a sign of too much water. Ensure the pot has good drainage and allow the surface of the soil to dry between watering. Older leaves will naturally yellow and die eventually.
If the soil is staying moist for more than two weeks between watering, or the soil feels soggy or very wet after a week then consider repotting the plant into a smaller container: the roots staying wet for too long will lead to root rot and a quick decline in the plant's health. When repotting use a well drained mix (see aroid soil)
Sun damage
R. tetrasperma can take some direct sun without damage but requires acclimatisation first or leaves will become bleached, will turn brown and eventually die. When moving your plant into an area which gets direct sunlight build up the plant's tolerance first. Limit the amount of direct sun to an hour a day for a few days, then two hours, then three and continue to slowly increase the plant's light exposure until it is fully acclimated.
When moving the plant outdoors, choose a spot in shade or that gets dappled or screened sunlight. Let the plant slowly acclimate to being outdoors and never move the plant into direct sun without slowly building up a tolerance first. Some direct morning or evening sun is fine but hot midday light will scorch the leaves.
Leaves are turning transparent
If the bottom of the leaves of your R. tetrasperma are turning translucent it's a sign the plant is sitting in too much moisture for too long. Water less frequently or consider repotting into a specialised aroid soil so the plant dries more quickly and has more air around its roots.
Pests
R. tetrasperma is relatively resistant to pests, however it can be affected by spider mites, mealybugs, scale, thrips and whitefly.