Bau hendrikii

Origin and background of Bau hendrikii

Bau hendrikii comes from West Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo. In the wild, it grows in humid hill forest, including higher elevations, on granite at roughly 400 to 1,000 m above sea level.

The species was first described as Schismatoglottis hendrikii and is now known as Bau hendrikii.

How to care for Bau hendrikii

• Light: Give it bright, filtered light or gentle indirect light throughout the day.
• Temperature: Keep it consistently warm and away from cold draughts, cold window glass and sudden temperature drops.
• Humidity: Keep the air humid, especially in heated rooms. A humidifier is useful when indoor air stays dry.
• Potting mix: Use a loose aroid mix with bark and mineral material. It should drain freely while holding some moisture.
• Watering: Water when the top layer starts to lose moisture while the deeper mix is still lightly damp. Water thoroughly and let excess water drain away.
• Feeding: Apply a diluted complete fertiliser while the plant is producing new growth.
• Growth and repotting: Let lengthening stems rest on the potting mix so the nodes can root. Repot when the roots have filled the pot.
• Propagation: Separate a stem section that has already rooted and carries a healthy shoot, then pot it in the same mix.

Common problems with Bau hendrikii

• Yellow leaves with soft stems or roots: The potting mix has stayed too wet or has become compact around the roots. Reduce watering, inspect the roots, and remove rotten tissue back to firm healthy tissue with a clean tool. Discard the rotten material before repotting in fresh airy mix.
• Dry, curling leaf margins: The potting mix has dried too far, humidity is low, or both have occurred together. Water the potting mix thoroughly and keep moisture more even. If the mix has remained moist, move the plant away from dry heated air or use a humidifier.
• Pale or bleached areas on the leaves: Light is too intense. Move the plant into bright filtered light.
• Tiny pale speckles, webbing or cottony clusters: Spider mites or mealybugs may be present. Isolate the plant, wash or remove visible pests, then use a treatment labelled for ornamental plants and repeat it as directed on the label.

Keep Bau hendrikii away from children and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
• Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

Why is it called Bau hendrikii?

Bau is the Malay word for smell, chosen for the strong scent released when the plant's tissues are crushed. The epithet hendrikii honours Hendrik Fusca, who collected the type material.

Sin Yeng Wong and Peter Charles Boyce established the genus Bau in 2024 in Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Geography (Webbia), volume 79, page 263.

Sin Yeng Wong and Peter Charles Boyce first described it as Schismatoglottis hendrikii in 2017 in Aroideana, volume 40, issue 3, page 28. Sin Yeng Wong and Peter Charles Boyce later placed it in Bau as Bau hendrikii in 2024 in Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Geography (Webbia), volume 79, page 266.