Anaphyllum wightii

[swords]

Hey mates I'm getting one of these very rare Aroids called Anaphyllum with a nearly phosphorescent curled seashell type spathe which are reputedly near impossible to grow but since it's heresay I can't find any information online about them as to "why" they are hard to grow or what temp conditions they need (hot or cool) or soil of their habitat. Just a few online references and nothing in my aroid books other than mere mentions of it.

Anyone here growing it?

 

[Dave S.]

I also had trouble trying to find specific care information on this plant, but I did find an article where other more popular plants are found along side it in nature. Perhaps looking up these plants care requirements will help.

"As per the IUCN classification, rarespecies are the ones that areuncommon but not necessarily at risk (ofextinction). Out of the 381 speciesrecorded from the project area and itssurroundings during the pre-monsoonseason, seven spices belong to this category.Of these, Anaphyllum wightii Schoot andDerris thothathiri Bedd. are occasionallyfound in the area. Myristica malabaricaLam. Coelogyne breviscapa Lindl.,Pheanthus malabaricus Bedd, Semicarpustravancorica Bed and Syzygium chavaran(Bourd) Gamble rarely occur in the forestland housing the project area."

link

It looks like it would be an interesting aroid to grow.

 

[Dave S.]

This is a response I received from another forum:

"It is a drop-dead tropical from the south of India that both dessicates very easily out of soil and rots very easily if too wet.....It loves the high humidity and monsoons of tropical India and it is tough to duplicate here. In India they grow it in a mix of leaf mold, garden soil and river sand (1:1:1). Many experienced aroid growers have failed when trying to grow this species, but it is possible."

 

[swords]

Hi Dave,

I've got my bulb potted in fine grade orchid bark, charcoal and perlite (moisture gets retained in the wood but pours right through otherwise) and situated in my hottest lowland terrraium and we'll see how it goes. No signs of life yet but the bulb was quite small (cigar butt shaped about 1" x 1.5") Any idea how large it gets? I tried emailing Dewy Fisk a Floridan Aroid guy who used to sell them but I haven't heard back from him.

 

[Dave S.]

Hi Josh,

No, I'm not sure how big it gets. I am interested in growing ones of these eventually. I am guessing that the people using garden soil are keeping the media too wet and rotting the tuber.

If you find out any more growing information, can you update this thread?