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  Re: [Aroid-l] Anubias
From: "Marek Argent" <abri1973 at wp.pl> on 2009.11.10 at 17:47:24(20257)
Hi Dmitry,

When I was beginning and I had several aroids belonging to various genera,
I was registering all changes in my plants, how many leaves they put in one
year
and among others the direction of unfolding the leaves.

I noticed that in the subfamily Monsteroideae, tribe Monstereae
(Monstera, Epipremnum, Scindapsus...) the leaves unfold alternately,
one leaf clockwise, the next counter-clockwise. Their leaves are asymmetric.

In other genera I checked (mainly popular species of
Aglaonema, Anubias, Alocasia, Homalomena, Spathiphyllum, Syngonium,
Zantedeschia...)
leaves in a single plant unfold in the same direction.
The direction may change when:
- the plant blooms (after blooming some plants put cataphylls instead of
normal leaves - I noticed it in Zantedeschia and Spathiphyllum)
- the plant divides (Zantedeschia or Spathipyllum after blooming sometimes
divides, usually the new leaves unfold in the opposite direction)
- the plant produces offsets from the ground.
- the top of the plant gets damaged and it puts a new stem from nodes below
(example: Syngonium).

Observing Zantedeschia plants grown from seeds, some plants' leaves were
rolled CW, some CCW,
so I think there's no rule. I didn't count the percentage.
In tuberous/rhizomatous aroids that fall into dormancy, the direction also
may change in the next season.
I haven't checked it yet in plants which leaves grow from cataphylls
(Anthurium, Philodendron).

Best,
Marek Argent

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