Amydrium medium

Natural range and habitat of Amydrium medium

Amydrium medium is native across a broad area from Myanmar and Thailand through Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java and Borneo to the Maluku Islands and the Philippines.

It grows in humid to wet evergreen forests from about 65 to 1,500 m above sea level. Wild plants occur in primary forest and in forest affected by disturbance, across a range of soils and rock types. In the wild, mature leaves vary in how deeply they are cut and how many natural openings they develop.

Growing Amydrium medium indoors

• Support: Give the vine a pole, board or other support it can climb. Keep the newest part of the stem against it until the roots along the stem start to hold on.
• Potting mix: Choose a chunky mix with good drainage that stays lightly moist between waterings.
• Light: Bright filtered light suits it well, and a slightly shadier indoor position can also work.
• Watering: Let the top of the mix begin to dry before watering. Soak the pot evenly, then empty any water left in the saucer or outer pot.
• Feeding: Use a light feed while new leaves are forming. Use the amount shown on the fertiliser label.
• Humidity and warmth: Humid air and steady warmth suit this plant. Leave a little space around the leaves and support so moisture can dry normally after watering.
• Repotting: Move the vine to a slightly larger, sturdy pot when roots crowd the container, water runs through much faster than usual, or the support starts to feel unstable.
• Propagation: Take a stem cutting with a healthy node and root it in a warm, lightly moist mix. A node is the joint where a new leaf or root can grow.

Amydrium medium troubleshooting

• A climbing plant starts making smaller, simpler leaves: This often happens when the newest growth comes loose from its support. Low light or unhealthy roots can have the same effect. Reattach the newest growth, check the roots and keep the plant in bright filtered light.
• Fresh ragged holes, bite marks or missing sections appear: Leaf-eating pests can cause this kind of ragged damage. Look at the front and back of the leaves, folds and nearby hiding places, and remove any pest you find. If fresh damage continues, choose a houseplant treatment for that pest. Check the label for the waiting time before another treatment.
• Fine speckles, yellow patches or sticky residue appear around visible insects or hard raised bumps: These signs usually mean sap-sucking pests are present. Keep the plant separate, rinse affected leaves or remove visible insects by hand. For pests that return, apply a suitable indoor-plant treatment. Any further treatment should follow the waiting time on the label.
• Leaves bleach or develop crisp tan patches: Sunlight falling directly on the leaf has caused the tan damage. Place the plant a little farther from the window or soften the midday light.
• The plant wilts in wet mix and the roots are dark and soft: Root rot is damaging the root system. Unpot the plant, remove soft rotten roots with a clean, disinfected tool, cut back to firm healthy tissue, discard the removed rot and repot in fresh airy substrate.

Amydrium medium is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its leaves and stems contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the mouth, throat, skin and eyes.
• Chewing may cause burning pain, drooling, swelling, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional after exposure, especially if swelling or breathing problems occur.

The meaning and history of Amydrium medium

Amydrium comes from Greek amydron, meaning dark, indistinct or obscure. The species epithet medium means middle or intermediate.

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus Amydrium in 1863 in Annales Musei Botanici Lugduno-Batavi, volume 1, page 127.

Heinrich Zollinger and Alexandre Moritzi first described it as Scindapsus medius in 1854 in Systematisches Verzeichnis der Pflanzen des Indischen Archipels, volume 2, page 82. Dan Henry Nicolson later placed it in Amydrium as Amydrium medium in 1968 in Blumea, volume 16, page 124.