Aridarum

Scientific name

Aridarum Ridl.

Family

Araceae

Similar genera

Anubias, Bucephalandra, Lagenandra, Ooia, Piptospatha, Spathiphyllum

Native distribution

endemicendemic:
(adj) restricted to a certain geographical location
to Borneo

Species cultivated

(plus numerous cultivated varieties)

Aridarum spp.

Aridarum burttii Bogner & Nicolson may be acquired through trade among hobbyists, but is not frequently available.

Adventive distribution

none

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

rheophyticrheophytic:
(adj) living or able to live in fast-moving water currents
herb that tolerates submersion for extended periods

Brief description

Small aroid herb. Stem suberect, compact. Leaves nu merousmerous:
suffix indicating the number of parts in a whorl
; petiolatepetiolate:
(adj) relating to or in the form of a petiole; bearing petioles
with base sheathed, wings extended into a narrowly triangular liguleligule:
(n) (1) a strap-shaped structure; (2) an often thin, membranous or hairy structure projecting from the top of the leaf sheath in grasses and a few other families; (3) the flattened part of the ray corolla in the Asteraceae
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
narrowly ellipticelliptical:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
to ellipticelliptical:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
, upper surface glossy dark green, paler below; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
acute, base attenuateattenuate:
(adj) narrowing gradually to a point
; venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
pinnate with prominent midribmidrib:
(n) the main or central vein, line or rib in a leaf or perianth segment
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
axillary, spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
and spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
; pedunclepeduncle:
(n) the stalk of a flower cluster or inflorescence
exceeding petioles; spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
broadly ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, extreme base green, the rest white. Flowers small, perianthperianth:
(n) collective term for the calyx and corolla of a flower; also used for floral whorl(s) in which the calyx and corolla cannot be resolved; any of the leaves or bracts surrounding the sex organs of bryophytes
absent, unisexualunisexual:
(adj) (of a flower) with either stamens (male) or pistils (female) but not both; consisting of only male or female flowers
; berries globular.

Natural habitat

on rocks in streams and by waterfalls, occasionally terrestrialterrestrial:
(adj) growing on land as opposed to living in water
in forest

Additional comments

A relatively new addition to the trade and rarely cultivated. Resembling Bucephalandra and Ooia, it is another rainforest plant that tolerates extended periods of submersion as a riparianriparian:
(adj) growing by rivers or streams; of, adjacent to, or living on, the banks of a river, lake, pond, etc.
lithophyte.