# Schismatoglottis pictus--help, Dr. Aroid!



## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

A Question for aroid mavens:

I'm sure many of you know this little Schismatoglottis-you can see it at the Black Jungle website. It simply does not last for me, maybe 2-3 years. Always the same story--grows well for a while, puts out offsets, blooms sporadically. Then its tips start to brown, offsets rot, plant rots. 

1) I have an emersed Anubias 'nana' in the pond section less than 1' away, looks great. So I do not think the humidity is too low (+/- 80 %).

2) Have Episcia and Pellionia crawling about, they look great. So I don't think my substrate is too wet.

3) No one else shows leafburn--does this aroild like very low light? 

4) Is it sensitive to high heat? Ain't it from Borneo?!?

5) Richard at Black Jungle wonders if my substrate is too old (Last broken down in 2004). It is a mix of chunky coir, tree fern, orchid bark--no charcoal or straight peat. 

Q: But the Episcia is fine! Could a thick rooted aroid be more sensitive than fibrous rooted herbaceous plants? Any opinion on this? I know aroids hate to be moved, so maybe they do have more senstive root systems. But I never had this problem with _Syngonium wendlandii._

Anyone want to take a stab at this one? Please?

P. S.

No pic necessary--you've all seen aroids that look like crap...


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## RarePlantBroker (Aug 3, 2008)

You may have a couple of things going on....

The growers that I know who keep S. pictus in their collection grow them underneath the bench in the greenhouse (read REALLY deep shade). I'm not sure how your lighting your enclosure, but I keep some of my Episcias outside in light bright enough to bloom many of my Cattleyas.

Next issue may be your soil. Most of the Borneo endemic species I grow like a fairly acid soil. You may want to add a little non-adjusted peat.

Final possibility is that the plant is too wet for too long a time frame. Most of the lower altitudes in Borneo do experience a "dry" season--during which time many of the aroids rest (and a number go dormant). I've had other aroids just burn themselves out by keeping them in a constant "wet season". 

In short, try re-planting and dry-cycle the enclosure.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

Alisdair--Thank you, brother.

My vote is #3--the substrate is perpetually quite moist. When I would prop the plant in a prop tank, I would root in NZ sphagnum, which occasionally dries out a bit. However, this wasn't problematic as the prop tank maintains 85% ambient humidity. 

#2 could be an issue, but wouldn't biological activity (animal waste, dead leaves) acidify over time?

I think a better bet for this spot (back corner) might be _Aglaonema simplex_ or a small Colocasia. Any suggestions on a smallish (non-vining) Asian aroid? 

Again, thanks for pointing me in the right direction.


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## EricM (Feb 15, 2004)

I grow this plant in many tanks and throw it out from time to time. I use super soil from home depot without any drainage layer. I mist the tanks heavy once a week, so the soil gets hard but not dry, the humidity stays pretty high. So dry and humid conditions. I get the flower spikes from seemingly small plants. I have an anubias nana growing in the same conditons but not well, so too dry for anubias but ferns, pepperomias etc all doing well in the same tank.

Photo is of the front of tank opening, where the food is dumped in; but the rhizome extends along the glass and the young plantlets are shooting up along it.

good luck 
ERic


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

Whereas my Cryptanthus, Episcia and Anubias have been kicking ass for years--oh well, each tank really is different microclimate!


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## RarePlantBroker (Aug 3, 2008)

Groundhog said:


> I think a better bet for this spot (back corner) might be _Aglaonema simplex_ or a small Colocasia. Any suggestions on a smallish (non-vining) Asian aroid?


I've always been fond of Aglaonema picta tricolor, and there are also some nice "pink" Aglaonema hybrids coming in from Thailand these days. Many of these are fairly small.

There's also Amorphophallus obscurus from Borneo--you'd just need to pull the corm when it goes dormant. This species is awesome, and max. ht. is around 8"!

Alocasia cuprea has always been one of my favorite, and likes more water than almost any other Alocasia spp. It also needs VERY high humidity and I've never had one get over 12" high....

If you want a Colocasia, C. falax is a nice dwarf spp., that I believe is from Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

RarePlantBroker said:


> I've always been fond of Aglaonema picta tricolor, and there are also some nice "pink" Aglaonema hybrids coming in from Thailand these days. Many of these are fairly small.
> 
> There's also Amorphophallus obscurus from Borneo--you'd just need to pull the corm when it goes dormant. This species is awesome, and max. ht. is around 8"!
> 
> ...


Thanks again, Alasdair

Oh decisions, decisions...


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Yeah Epicsia and Pellonia are not good for judging substrate -they grows over a substrate and send down roots so I've had and seen these guys inhibit substrates that most plants that send down deeper roots wouldn't touch. They need more consistent humidity and since they are on the surface of a substrate they need a substrate that stays moist even there, but beyond that they aren't that picky  Peat mud? Suuuuuure! Less competition... Syngonium wendlandii is a creeping hemi-epiphyte so it's also not as picky about substrate a lot of times, and none of the hemi-epiphytes are as picky about being moved as the rosettes.

Borneo is also an island with mountains, and there are plenty of plants there that need it cool! It's just as variable as Costa Rica, and with easily as many species (if not more due to some interesting species radiation). If the jewel alocasias have taught me anything, it's that while they "generally" like a set up different than other alocasias, there is still HUGE variations within their group! They all seem to like little crevices with good drainage, but some are near waterfalls, others are nearly out in the open... craziness! Makes it easy to believe in a somewhat rheophytic family you get a species that isn't! Also sounds like it's burning out, so it may seasonally be able to handle your conditions, but not all year around.

#2 could still be an issue if the tannins from the media have been flushed out (which sounds like what has happened). Without adding more tanning sources, even the break down of your media can't compete with the acidity of a forest floor that regularly is covered with fallen leaves. You media also is probably structurally much weaker and the drainage has changed.

Speaking of Aglaonema, those pink ones make me cringe, but I've seen some small little saber guys too! Stay pretty small, and look really cool IMO. There is a huge range in stuff coming out lately. I was tempted more towards the black and silver ones though LOL.


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## Lbacha (Sep 7, 2011)

You mentioned at the beginning the plant was from Black Jungle if that is so does it look like this








If it does it is actually Scismattoglottis pusilla and it is from the Phillipines, I'm not sure S pictus (there is Scindapsus pictus) is an actual species name S. picta is and here is a picture of it in my terrarium.









I have had very good luck with the S pusilla in a very moist environment (feet always wet) and dryer (fery little watering only the ambient humidity and an occational watering of the soil) as for the S picta it likes a bit more water and is growing great in my terrarium (check out my Borneo vivarium).

Len


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

Lbacha said:


> You mentioned at the beginning the plant was from Black Jungle if that is so does it look like this
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes indeed, the top plant is (was) it! Replaced part of the substrate and added some dead leaves; I am now trying that _Alocasia_ 'Bambino' (I know, I know...) So far, so good... (For those wo od not know this one, it looks like a minature Home Depot African Mask.)


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Just remember the jewel/dwarf Alocasia don't like sopping wet roots  ABG mix has worked wonders with them... I wonder if the Schismatoglottis would be similar. Roots wedged in a rock (can't really get more high drainage than that) but loves the humidity?


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I wish that we could get more different kinds of _Schismatoglottis_ here. They sure are cool plants. I understand that it is nearly impossible anymore to legally export new plant introductions or wild stuff from Malaysia and Indonesia.


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Yeah, most of the exporters there are not into exporting native stuff but are some of the largest suppliers of orchids in the world. I'm kinda happy that they aren't just getting ripped out and sent to the highest bidder, but it does stink that some of the ones that do make it here aren't circulated as much. Probably because they aren't as obvious to grow! Just look at how many of the jewel alocasias get killed even though they are tissue cultured. People think all alocasias like it wet and these guys die before most figure it out, and then they get the nasty label of being touchy and hard.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

You're right. If they had more legitimate ways of exporting the wild stuff then it would just get ripped out of the woods wholesale. But it's too bad that they can't find ways to get more of those plants into cultivation. Borneo has so many crazy-looking plants.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

Corey, the substrate is no longer wet. Most plants like the change, but not the Episcia or Java moss....


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Borneo has enough issues just having it's forests destroyed for things like palm oil plantations. Responsible native plant export doesn't make a whole lot of money, at least the orchid exportation is consistent money.

Glad to hear the other plants are doing better! Sorry about the winy Episcia and moss  Maybe if the moss can wick from a water source... but you know Episcia, they are just water greedy


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