Bau hendrikii

Natural range and habitat of Bau hendrikii

Bau hendrikii comes from West Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo, where it grows on the ground in lightly shaded, humid hill forest over granite.

Looking after Bau hendrikii

A range near 18–24 °C is suitable. Protect the plant from extended periods below 15 °C. Keep humidity around 60–80% and allow gentle air movement around the foliage. Give Bau hendrikii a warm position with filtered or indirect daylight and humid air. A terrarium or humidifier can help where the room is dry. Keep the plant clear of cold draughts and hot air from heaters.

Use moisture-retaining houseplant compost in a pot with drainage holes; perlite can help keep the mix airy. Check both the compost surface and the weight of the pot. Water thoroughly once the surface starts to dry and the pot feels lighter, while the deeper compost is still damp. Let the excess drain away and empty any water left in the saucer or outer pot.

Feed lightly while new leaves are expanding, using a houseplant fertiliser. Stop feeding when growth stops.

Repot when roots crowd the pot or when old compost has broken down and no longer drains well. Use fresh suitable compost and a pot only slightly larger when the roots are crowded.

Problems and solutions for Bau hendrikii

• Drooping with a dry, light pot or crisp leaf edges: The root ball may have dried too far. Water thoroughly, let the pot drain and empty collected water. Return to watering when the surface starts to dry and the pot feels lighter while the deeper compost is still damp. If the roots are moist but the edges continue to crisp in dry room air, raise humidity with a humidifier or humid enclosure.
• Leaves stay limp while the compost remains wet: Empty any water beneath the pot and wait until the surface starts to dry and the pot becomes lighter before watering again. If the plant is still wilted while the compost is wet, inspect the roots. Firm brown roots can be healthy; soft decaying roots indicate rot. When enough firm healthy roots remain, cut rotten roots back to firm healthy tissue with clean tools, discard the decayed material and repot in fresh suitable compost in a clean pot with drainage holes. Keep the surviving roots lightly moist as the plant recovers. Water when the surface starts to dry and the pot feels lighter while the deeper compost remains damp.
• White cottony or waxy material at leaf joints: Inspect the joints and leaf undersides for mealybugs; sticky residue may be honeydew. Isolate the plant if you find them and remove visible insects gently with a cloth or tweezers. If the infestation persists, use a pesticide only when the label covers mealybugs, this plant and indoor use, and follow the stated dose, application and repeat-treatment directions.

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.