Highland

A highland form of this fairly widespread and highly variable species.The stems of this highland form are significantly thicker and fleshier than other forms I have seen so far.The inflorescences of this form are directed upwards towards the tip of the shoot.

Very vigorous intermediate species.It bears a certain resemblance to the Hydnophytum radicans group, but is much smaller than all other members of the group known to me. The caudex is elongated when young and becomes rounder with age, with very conspicuous, large, edged holes.A beautiful species!As it is very vigorous, it is advisable to prune the branches from time to time.

Very nice! A spherical caudex and tapering, leathery leaves. The plant is considerably more compact than the species found at 1,000 metres, which also has significantly narrower leaves.

Squamellaria guppyanaSquamellaria guppyana (Becc.) Chomicki is an epiphytic species of the family Rubiaceae, distributed on Bougainville (Papua New Guinea) and throughout the Solomon Islands. It inhabits mangroves, riverine forests, and other humid tropical lowland forests from sea level to approximately 600 m elevation. Throughout parts of its range, the species occurs sympatrically with Squamellaria kajewskii.The species develops an oblong-ovoid caudex up to 30 cm long, bearing numerous small entrance holes arranged in concentric rings. These openings lead into a complex system of interconnected chambers that are typically occupied by various ant species. A distinctive feature of S. guppyana is the presence of cork-like plugs that can seal individual entrance holes. As a result, unoccupied caudices become watertight and are capable of storing rainwater, a unique adaptation within the Hydnophytinae. Additional diagnostic characters include the thin lanceolate to obovate leaves and the large, extensively branched inflorescences, which resemble those of the genus Psychotria. The combination of a chambered caudex with sealable entrance holes and the characteristic inflorescence readily distinguishes S. guppyanafrom related species.

You are bidding on a beautiful, medium-sized plant that is already producing its first flowers. One of the most extraordinary species. The terrestrial caudex forms chimney-like openings, the function of which is entirely unclear.

Hydnophytum caminiferumHydnophytum caminiferum Wistuba, U. Zimm., Gronem. & Marwinski is a terrestrial species of the family Rubiaceae, known exclusively from the mountain forests of the Vogelkop Peninsula (Papua, Indonesia). It grows in moss-rich mountain forests and on mountain ridges at altitudes of approximately 1,900–2,500 m. Unlike most species of the genus, it does not develop an epiphytic growth habit and its caudices are not colonised by ants.A characteristic feature of the species is the caudex, which grows to a height of up to 60 cm and is composed of several amphora-shaped tuberules. The upward-facing, distinctly lip-shaped entry openings lead into U-shaped cavities and give the plant a distinctive appearance. Further identifying features include the small, thick-fleshed, heart-shaped leaves, which are clustered densely at the shoot tips and have a strikingly whitish underside. The flowers are greenish-white with a comparatively long corolla tube; the fruits are red. The combination of its terrestrial lifestyle, the multi-chambered caudex with upward-facing openings and the small, heart-shaped leaves makes H. caminiferum one of the most distinctive species in the genus.

This is a very interesting species belonging to the Hydnophytum radicans group. Jebb & Huxlex (Blumea 64, 2019) mention both very narrow-leaved and relatively broad-leaved forms of this species. The narrow-leaved forms and the distribution range fit well. However, Jebb refers to unbranched inflorescences, which is not consistently the case with my plants.A wonderful new addition to cultivation!Hydnophytum albertisiiHydnophytum albertisii Becc. is a myrmecophytic species of the family Rubiaceae, which occurs in the provinces Western, Southern Highlands and Gulf in Papua New Guinea and grows epiphytically in forests. It is assumed that ants colonise the caudex, but this has not yet been directly documented.A characteristic feature of the species is a small, smooth caudex with distinctly lip-shaped entry openings. The numerous, sparsely branched shoots are quadrangular and possess four conspicuous, wing-like longitudinal ridges. The leaves are narrow, oblong-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, leathery, with a wedge-shaped base and a long, tapering apex. The leaf margin is entire, the midrib distinctly prominent; the short petioles are slightly winged. The paired inflorescences are borne on short peduncles and bear white, heterostylous flowers.

This may be a variety of Hydnophytum hailans.  A beautiful, irregularly shaped tuber.New!

A very interesting species from Papua New Guinea. Its strikingly elongated caudex and the silvery sheen on the leaves of younger plants are particularly striking.Very vigorous!

Hydnophytum ramispinumHydnophytum ramispinum Becc. is an epiphytic species of the Rubiaceae family, found in the mountain rainforests of New Guinea. It grows on tree trunks and branches in humid high-altitude forests and forms a tuber-like caudex with a branched system of cavities. The cavities are predominantly colonised by various invertebrates and – unlike many other members of the Hydnophytinae – are only rarely inhabited by ants.A characteristic feature of the species is the caudex, which forms rigid, star-shaped, branched root spines – a distinguishing feature unique within the genus. Further diagnostic features include the narrow to elliptical, leathery leaves and the paired, white, four-parted flowers with a short corolla tube. The fruits are small, red berries.An absolutely fantastic new introduction! Having previously mistakenly offered a yet-to-be-described species as Hydnophytum ramispinu or H. cf. ramispinum, this is in fact the true species.In cultivation, the plants are straightforward but, unfortunately, grow rather slowly.I grow the plants upright in pots, but in the wild the caudices hang vertically downwards.Only a few seedlings available!

This is an undescribed species. The plants form a tuber on their stems about every 10-30 cm. They are found in raised bog-like situations where they grow in competition with the Sphagnum moss and other vegetation. With the formation of secondary tubers, they manage to keep pace with the moss growth and still always have tubers above the substrate surface. The original location of the species is near Waghete, in the highlands of Papua. It occurs there in the vicinity of the well-known Nepenthes klossii.

Very unusual Hyndnophytum with ball-shaped caudex and very small leaves. Offered for the first time commecially. Short supply.

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!

This is most likely Hydnophytum tetrapterum. The plants originate from Gunung Nok, the highest peak on Waigeo, a large island in the Rajah Ampat Archipelago, a group of islands located between the Bird's Head Peninsula of Irian Jaya and the Moluccas.Characteristic are the winged shoots, a feature that gave the species its name.A very beautiful but rather slow-growing species.

Another interesting variety from Doormas Top. This variety is characterised by its small, elongated leaves, long shoots and sparse growth habit.This variety bears a resemblance to another variety of Doorman’s Top. Unlike that variety, however, the caudex is thornless and much rounder.

Since there are also plants in nature that cannot be clearly assigned to either species, I tried to create a hybrid of the two species that occur together to test whether the plants in question could be natural hybrids and whether hybrids are possible.This was successful, as both species are dioecious. Pollen from S. kajewskii was applied to female labelled flowers of S. guppyanum.The result is a plant whose caudex is reminiscent of S. kajewskii without the clear symmetry of the species. As I like this one very much, I cross-pollinated some flowers again. Here are the resulting plants. Only a few seedlings available!Squamellaria guppyanum is the closest relative of Squamellaria kajewskii. Formerly described as Hydnophytum, both species are now more likely to be assigned to the genus Squamellaria on the basis of phylogenetic studies.While Squamellaria kajewskii has an extremely symmetrical caudex, even externally, the caudex of S. guppyanum appears very irregular at first glance. The caudex is silvery green and has numerous elevations.

Based on genetic data, the species, originally described as Hydnophytum, has since been reclassified into the genus Squamellaria. Specimens collected from other islands in the Fiji Archipelago, which were originally described as Hydnophytum, are in fact Squamellaria tenuiflorum and S. wilkinsonii.  In addition, there are the ‘classic Squamellaria species’: Squamellaria grayi, huxleyana, imberbis and major.A striking feature is the ‘hairy’ caudices, although these ‘hairs’ are in fact numerous roots.New!