Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) • Earth.com

Spotted Evergreen

(Aglaonema costatum)

galery
en

Description

Aglaonema costatum (Synonyms: Aglaonema costatum) called the spotted evergreen, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Aglaonema, native to Bangladesh, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. In these areas, the plant is typically found growing in the understory of tropical rain forests. Its putative form, Aglaonema costatum f. immaculatum, called the unspotted Chinese evergreen, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. A. costatum typically reaches about 60 cm tall and 30-45 cm wide. Its leaves are typically about 20 centimeters long, ovately shaped, with entire margins. They are green, with a white stripe along the midrib and a number of irregularly shaped white spots. In the summer, it produces white spathe-and-spadix flowers, about 2-3.5 centimeters long. As a result of the calcium oxalate crystals found in all parts of the plant, it will irritate the mouth and esophagus of a human who ingests it, and it is toxic to cats and dogs. Aglaonema is a genus of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae. They are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and New Guinea. They are known commonly as Chinese evergreens. These are evergreen perennials with stems growing erect or decumbent and creeping. Stems that grow along the ground may root at the nodes. There is generally a crown of wide leaf blades which in wild species are often variegated with silver and green coloration. The inflorescence bears unisexual flowers in a spadix, with a short zone of female flowers near the base and a wider zone of male flowers nearer the tip. The fruit is a fleshy berry that ripens red. The fruit is a thin layer covering one large seed. Plants of the genus are native to humid, shady tropical forest habitat. Aglaonema have been grown as luck-bringing ornamental plants in Asia for centuries. They were introduced to the West in 1885, when they were first brought to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. They have been cultivated, hybridized, and bred into a wide array of cultivars. They live in low-light conditions and are popular houseplants. This mainly tropical genus is known for its intolerance of cold temperatures. Chilling injury can begin at 15 °C (59 °F). The injury manifests in dark, greasy-looking patches on the foliage.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum:
Class: Liliopsida
Order:Alismatales
Family:Araceae
Genus:Aglaonema
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