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Monstera

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}

{{automatic taxobox

| image = Starr 080731-9572 Monstera deliciosa.jpg

| image_caption = Monstera deliciosa

| display_parents = 2

| taxon = Monstera

| authority = Adans.{{GRIN | name = Monstera | id = 312414 | access-date = 3 December 2022 }}

| synonyms_ref = {{cite POWO |id=330206-2 |title=Monstera|accessdate=5 December 2022}}

| synonyms = {{Genus list

| Tornelia | Gutierrez ex Schott

| Serangium | Wood ex Salisb.

}}

}}

Monstera is a genus of 59 species of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae, native to tropical regions of central and south America.

Etymology

The genus is named from the Latin word for "monstrous" or "abnormal", and refers to the unusual leaves with natural holes, or fenestrations (slits) and perforations (holes), that most members of the genus have.{{cite book|title=CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names|volume=3 M-Q|first=Umberto|last=Quattrocchi|publisher=CRC Press|year=2000 |isbn=978-0-8493-2677-6|page=1723}}

Description

= Growth pattern =

They are evergreen vines, growing to heights of {{convert|20|m}} in trees, climbing by means of aerial roots which act as hooks over branches; these roots will also grow into the soil to help support the plant. Since plants in the genus root both into the soil and over trees, it is considered a hemiepiphyte with roots in soil but climbing on trees.{{cite journal|last1=Eskov|first1=A. K.|last2=Zhukovskaya|first2=N. V.|last3=Bystrova|first3=E. I.|last4=Orlova|first4=Yu. V.|last5=Antipina|first5=V. A.|last6=Ivanov|first6=V. B.|title=Growth of aerial roots with an extensive elongation zone by the example of a hemiepiphyte Monstera deliciosa|journal=Russian Journal of Plant Physiology|date=2016|volume=63|issue=6|pages=822–834|doi=10.1134/S1021443716060042|bibcode=2016RuJPP..63..822E |s2cid=11839082}} Aerial roots hanging directly to the ground have, according to Madison, measured up to one hundred feet (thirty meters) in height.{{cite book | last= Bown | first= Deni | date= 2000 | title= Aroids - Plants of the Arum Family | location= Portland | publisher= Timber Press |page= 189 | isbn= 978-1-60469-201-3 }}{{cite journal | last= Madison |first= M. |title= A Revision of Monstera | journal= Contrib. From Gray Herbarium of Harvard Univ. | issue= 207|pages= 3–100}}

= Leaves =

The leaves are alternate, leathery, dark green, very large, from {{convert|25|-|90|cm}} long (up to {{convert|300|cm}} long in M. gigas) and {{convert|15|-|75|cm}} broad, often with holes in the leaf blade. The fenestrated leaves allow for the leaves to spread over greater area to increase sunlight exposure, and to allow light to reach other leaves below, by using less energy to produce and maintain the leaves.{{Cite web|last=Choi|first=Charles|date=2013-01-22|title=ScienceShot: Why Are There Holes in the Swiss Cheese Plant?|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/scienceshot-why-are-there-holes-swiss-cheese-plant-rev2|access-date=2021-05-03|website=Science {{!}} AAAS|language=en}}

File:Monstera lechleriana.jpg

= Inflorescence =

The flowers are borne on a specialized inflorescence called a spadix, {{convert|5|-|95|cm}} long; the fruit is a cluster of berries, with significant variation in color, edible in some species.

File:MonsteraAdansonii.jpg

Uses

File:Monstera deliciosa.JPG

File:Monstera deliciosa2.jpg

They are commonly grown indoors as houseplants. The best-known representative of the genus, Monstera deliciosa, is also cultivated for its edible fruit which tastes like a combination of peach and pineapple.

Species

{{As of|2022|November}} Plants of the World Online recognizes 70 accepted taxa (of 64 species and 6 infraspecific names):{{cite web|url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?7782|title=GRIN Species Records of Monstera|work=Germplasm Resources Information Network|publisher=USDA|accessdate=January 1, 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019215357/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?7782|archivedate=October 19, 2012}}

{{div col|colwidth=25em}}

  • Monstera acacoyaguensis {{Au|Matuda}}
  • Monstera acuminata {{Au|K.Koch}} – Shingle plant
  • Monstera adansonii {{Au|Schott}}
  • Monstera adansonii subsp. adansonii {{Au|(Schott) Mayo & I.M.Andrade}}
  • Monstera adansonii subsp. blanchetii {{Au|(Schott) Mayo & I.M.Andrade}}
  • Monstera adansonii subsp. klotzschiana {{Au|(Schott) Mayo & I.M.Andrade}}
  • Monstera adansonii subsp. laniata {{Au| (Schott) Mayo & I.M.Andrade}}
  • Monstera alcirana {{Au|

Croat, M.Cedeño, Zuluaga & O.Ortiz}}

{{div col end}}

Previously included:{{Clarify|date=March 2023|reason=What has happened to these taxa?}}{{cn|date=March 2023}}

  • Monstera alticola {{Au|Croat}}
  • Monstera bocatorana {{Au|Croat & Grayum}}
  • Monstera coloradensis {{Au|Croat}}
  • Monstera fortunense {{Au|Croat}}
  • Monstera gigantea (Roxb.) Schott - Epipremnum giganteum (Roxb.) Schott
  • Monstera jefense {{Au|Croat}}
  • Monstera pirrense {{Au|Croat}}

Commonly misidentified as Monstera:

References

{{commonscat}}

{{Wikispecies}}

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [http://www.aroid.org/genera/generapage.php?genus=monstera Aroid Society]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q159216}}

Category:Araceae genera

Category:Taxa named by Michel Adanson