Pothos L.

Genus

Angiosperms > Alismatales > Araceae

Characteristics

Plants climbing against trees with aid of adhesive roots, or creeping over rocks. Primary shoots branching to produce further adherent shoots and both types (in most species) sterile but giving rise to free, sympodial or physiognomically monopodial flowering shoots, often highly ramified, arising from leaf axil (subg. Pothos) or beneath it [subg. Allopothos]. Leaves simple, distichous; petiole conspicuously winged [or wingless]; petiolar sheath minute or well developed, amplexicaul; articulation distinct (pulvinus at junction of petiole and blade); leaf blade with primary lateral veins on each side of midrib traversed by 1 or more intramarginal veins running ± from base and from ca. midway along midrib to apex or first to distal margins and then to apex. Inflorescences in axils of leaves or seemingly extra-axillary, sometimes pseudoterminal, usually several along stem; peduncle partly or entirely enveloped by sheathlike organs (cataphylls). Spathe inconspicuous, cymbiform or elongate, not constricted, at last entirely spreading, and either spreading or recurved. Spadix sessile or stipitate, varying in shape, with reduced flowers at very base, otherwise fertile. Flowers many, bisexual, sometimes reduced; tepals 6, with vaulted-truncate apex. Stamens 6; filaments strap-shaped; anthers ovoid, longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary 3-loculed; ovule 1 per locule, subbasal; stigma sessile, initially umbilicate. Berry 1-3-seeded. Seeds large, without endosperm.
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Rather to very slender usually hemi-epiphytic root climbers, usually with rather clearly differentiated adherent, non-flowering and free, flowering shoots, the latter of which may be highly ramified; flagelliform foraging shoots with reduced leaves often produced; juveniles sometimes heteroblastic (not known in Australia). Leaves distichous; petiole either with a narrow, ±clasping membranous sheath and a conspicuous apical geniculum (subg. Allopothos) or broad, flattened and lamina-like, with a small apical articulation (subg. Pothos); blades entire, ovate to elliptic, with reticulate venation; primary lateral veins fine, crossed on each side of midrib by 1 or more intramarginal veins. Inflorescences solitary to few in series and terminal on leafy shoots to axillary and then subtended by a series of cataphylls, or borne on specialised perennial foliage-leafless flowering branch systems (not in Australia); spadix sessile to stipitate, compact to very lax-flowered (not in Australia); spathe mostly inconspicuous, bract-like, usually reflexed, white to green to purple-brown. Flowers bisexual, with a perianth of 6 (rarely 4) free (rarely united) tepals. Stamens 6 (rarely 4), free, with flattened filaments. Ovary trilocular; locules uniovulate; stigma punctate. Fruit a 1–3-seeded berry, large relative to spadix.
Life form perennial
Growth form
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Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Root system creeping-root
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Environment

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Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

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Cultivation

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