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Pothos gracillimus Engl. & K.Krause

Introduction & Overview

Common and Scientific Names

  • Scientific Name: Pothos gracillimus Engl. & K.Krause
  • Common Name: None widely recorded

Quick Facts

  • Origin: Endemic to Papua New Guinea
  • Features: Extremely slender vines; leaf blades only 3–7 mm wide; tiny green spathes and sub‑spherical spadices; cherry‑red fruits

Taxonomy & Classification

  • Genus: Pothos L.
  • Botanical Background: Described  Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik 54: 74 (1916) by Adolf Engler and Kurt Krause, two prominent German botanists who made foundational contributions to aroid taxonomy.

Natural Habitat & Distribution

  • Geographical Range: Known only from three widely scattered sites in New Guinea’s lowland hill forests.
  • Environment: Thrives in wet tropical biomes, climbing on trees or growing as a hemiepiphyte under high humidity and warm temperatures.

Morphological Characteristics

Leaves

  • Very narrowly lanceolate, 5–9 cm long and 3–7 mm wide
  • Apex attenuate, base rounded

  • Primary lateral veins diverge at ~20°, with 1–2 intramarginal veins per side


Inflorescence (Spadix & Spathe)

  • Solitary on condensed short shoots subtended by narrow cataphylls
  • Peduncle slender, up to 3.5 cm long; spadix sessile, 3–7 × 3–4 mm

  • Spathe ovate‑lanceolate, 6–8 × 4–5 mm, green; flowers ~1.2 mm diam., with six free tepals and stamens

Growth Habit

  • Very slender root‑climbing liane or hemiepiphyte with weakly differentiated flowering branches

Cultivation & Care

Light Requirements

  • Bright, indirect light; avoid direct sun to prevent leaf scorch

Watering & Humidity

  • Water when the top 2 cm of soil is dry

  • Maintain high humidity (60–80%) to mimic native habitat

Soil & Potting Mix

  • Use a well‑draining mix of indoor potting soil, perlite, and orchid bark to support aeration

Temperature & Fertilizer

  • Ideal range 18–28 °C (65–82 °F)

  • Feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer during the growing season

  • Reduce in cooler months

Propagation Methods

Division and Cuttings

  • Stem cuttings with at least one node can root in water or moist medium

  • Ensure high humidity


Seeds

  • Rarely available

  • Viability and germination requirements are undocumented

Common Pests & Diseases

Typical Issues

  • Spider mites, mealybugs and scale
  • Maintain good air circulation and avoid waterlogged soil

Treatment Recommendations

  • Neem oil or insecticidal soap
  • Systemic insecticides labeled for indoor plants

Notable Traits & Uses

  • Its diminutive form makes it easily overlooked in the wild
  • May represent a rare, naturally small variant of P. zippeli
  • Sought by specialist collectors for its extreme slenderness and miniature foliage

Conservation & Availability

Wild Population Status

  • Very scattered and known from few collections

  • Not yet assessed by IUCN but potentially rare

Market Availability

  • Not generally available in trade

  • Known only from herbarium records and specialist collections

References & Resources

Further Reading

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