Skip to main content

Arrowhead vine (Syngonium podophyllum)

Goosefoot-plant or arrowhead vine (Syngonium podophyllum) is a plant species, having arrow-shaped leaves with three alternating lobes that have size, color and shape that vary with age and variety is Syngonium podophyllum var. albolineatum, Syngonium podophyllum var. oerstedianum and Syngonium podophyllum var. peliocladum.

S. podophyllum grows on the surface or climbs. Widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in many tropical countries and has at least 10 cultivars. The main difference is in the position and extent of the cream or white. Some leaves are almost entirely white, pink or yellow.

Dlium Arrowhead vine (Syngonium podophyllum)

Young leaves have a simple and intact shape, a convoluted pulse or a silvery-white center that is bounded by green. Mature leaves are compound in color, dark green, segmented into three leaflets and grow with 5-9 leaflets as they age.

Leaves and stems contain poisonous milk gums. Leaflets are generally dark green at the top and pale green at the bottom. It has 4-11 spadix which grow on leaf axils, each consisting of 6-9 tubular flowers, green, covered in creamy white to green leaves.

The fruit is red to reddish orange with many black or brown seeds in a soft grayish pulp. But it is very rare to bear fruit even in its original range. Seedlings have one to several simple leaves in sagittate while mature plants have very varied leaf compounds.

Arrowhead vine requires moist soil, good and fertile drainage on sandy and loamy soils in pH 5.5-6.5. Plants prefer shady conditions in tropical forests and premontane wet forests at altitudes up to 1000 m but more abundant at 100-500 m.



Goosefoot-plant reproduces almost entirely vegetatively from a single node because it rarely produces viable seeds in the original range. Many specimens are sterile and have no flowers. But in Sumatra many are found to be flowering and fruitful which indicates that there are effective pollinators present.

S. podophyllum can form dense populations that replace the surrounding vegetation, have the ability to spread under the shade of intact forests, form solid mats on the forest floor and climb trees that give heavier weights so that they are more susceptible to falling by the wind.

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Genus: Syngonium
Species: S. podophyllum

Popular Posts

False ashoka (Monoon longifolium)

False ashoka ( Monoon longifolium ) is a plant species in the Annonaceae, a small tree, evergreen, up to more than 20 meters high, symmetrical pyramidal with pendulous branches, hardwood, easy to grow and very adaptive. M. longifolium has long narrow lanceolate leaves with wavy edges, 25 cm long, 6 cm wide, copper brown pigmentation but over time becomes bright green and finally dark green. Pale green flowers resemble delicate stars. The flowering period is usually 2-3 weeks. Fruits in 10-20 pieces, round, up to 2 cm wide, green but turn purple or black when ripe. Trees are used to filter air pollution. Leaves are used for decorative decoration during festivals. Trees are easily pruned into various shapes and maintained in the required size. Flexible, straight and light rods are used in making sailing ship masts. Wood for making pencils, boxes and matches. Seed oil has anti-oxidant, anti-lipooxygenase and antimicrobial activity. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: An...

Broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius)

Broad-leaved dock ( Rumex obtusifolius ) is a species of plant in the Polygonaceae, herbaceous perennial, growing broadly, up to 150 cm tall, large, oval-shaped leaves with a heart-shaped base and rounded tip, large taproot with many branches extending to a depth of 150 cm. R. obtusifolius has leaves up to 30 cm long, 15 cm wide and green. Stems are long, hard, alternate, green or reddish in color and unbranched until just below the inflorescence. A main vein in the middle and green or reddish in color. Flat or wavy surface. The inflorescences consist of large clusters of racemes that contain small, greenish flowers that turn red as they mature. Seeds are reddish brown and dry. Broad-leaved dock grows in fertile soils, grasslands, waste lands, roadsides, ditches, coastlines and riverbanks, forest margins, forest clearing and agricultural land. The leaves are used as a salad to make vegetable broth or cooked like spinach. Dried seeds are used as a spice. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tr...

Crested blue ear (Cyanotis cristata)

Crested blue ear ( Cyanotis cristata ) is a species of plant in the Commelinaceae, a fleshy and strong herb, growing as a vine. Leaves 8 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, oblong, rounded or heart-shaped base, blunt or pointed tip, sparsely ciliated at the edge; sheath loose, up to 8 mm long, scaly. C. cristata has flowers 6-7 mm in diameter. Calyx tube 2 mm long, lobes 2-2.5 mm long, hairy. Corolla pale blue to purple, 6 mm long. Stamen filaments bearded, purple. Ovary rounded, hairy at the apex. Capsules 2-3 mm long, ovate. Seeds about 1 mm long, trigonous, 2 large holes on either side. This species grows in grasslands, degraded forest areas, wastelands, waterways and roadsides. C. cristata is found in wet rocky areas, moist soils, grasslands, ravines and riverbanks. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Liliopsida Order: Commelinales Family: Commelinaceae Subfamily: Commelinoideae Tribe: Tradescantieae Genus: Cyanotis Species: Cyanotis cristata