For the first time I have some beautiful plants grown from seed for sale.The tubers are about 2-3 cm in diameter. Hydnophytum guppyanum is the closest relative of Hydnophytum kajewskii. Both species are nowadays rather assigned to the genus Squamellaria due to phylogenetic studies.
Very unusual species! The plants grow terrestrially. Often the caudex is completely hidden under the soil surface. Striking are the bluish leaves which are silvery iridescent in young plants.In culture the plants grow well in coarse peat substrate although they were found in nature on ultrabasic soils.
I believe, this is the elusive Hydnophytum mamberamoense or a related species. Unfortunately, the type specimen is quite incomplete, so I am a bit reluctant to call it H. mamberamoense.However having seen the species in the field, I am quite sure that this is neither a Hydnophytum, nor a Myrmecodia but rather belongs into a yet to be described new genus of Hydnophytinae!This strange species from the southern coast of Irian Jaya does not really fit into any of the other genuses of Hydnophytinae. At first sight, the caudex looks Myrmecodia-like but appears to be less organanized and very irregular. The inflorescence does not fit into Myrmecodia either. Very interesting!
Ant plant specialist Matthew Jebb calls this "...the most sophisticated tuber structure, which must rank as one of the most sophisticated and bizarre vegetative structures in the entire plant kingdom..." Unique!
Very beautiful lowland form that occurs on Normanby Island together with Anthorrhiza bracteosa and A. areolata as well as Hydnophytum dentrecastenseThe habitat is extremely hot and sunny but normal lowland conditions work well in cultivation.The silvery-grayish caudex of this epiphytic species is striking and gives it its name.Offered commercially for the first time. Only a few plants.
A very interesting species from Irian Jaya. The plants seem to be adapted to dry periods and the caudex shrinks extremely in dry conditions, so that the plant appears almost dead. The unripe berries are orange in colour for a long time and only turn red when fully ripe.
Until the real Hydnophytum ramispinum was found again, I thought this species was H. ramispinumand used to list it as Hydnophytum cf. ramispinum.
This has proved to be wrong - it is an as yet undescribed species!
