Fenestratarum culum

Natural range and habitat of Fenestratarum culum

Fenestratarum culum comes from West Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo. It grows beside running water on sandstone rocks and boulders in very wet lowland forest at about 45 m elevation.

Its roots are adapted to stream margins where water levels rise and fall, so the plant stays anchored in places that are regularly washed by moving water.

Care for Fenestratarum culum

• Light: Give medium to bright filtered light. Use a sheer curtain where strong direct sun reaches the plant.
• Temperature: Keep temperatures steady around 22–28 °C, away from cold draughts. Avoid prolonged temperatures below 15 °C.
• Humidity: Aim for 60–80% humidity with gentle airflow around the leaves and roots.
• Water: Keep the mix evenly moist and let excess water drain freely.
• Potting mix: Use a loose mix of mineral and organic material that holds some moisture and drains freely. A shallow pot works well for its small root system.
• Feeding: Give a small amount of fertiliser during new leaf development.
• Repotting: Repot when the mix begins to break down or the plant fills its container. Replant at the same depth.

Common problems with Fenestratarum culum

• Dry brown leaf tips: The roots or surrounding air have become too dry. Keep the mix more evenly moist and raise humidity around the plant.
• Yellow leaves with soft roots or stem tissue: The mix has stayed too wet and the roots have not had enough air, allowing rot to develop. Cut away rotten tissue to firm healthy growth with a clean tool, discard the rot and repot the healthy plant in fresh, loose mix.
• Pale, weak new leaves: Light may be too low, or some roots may be damaged. Move the plant gradually into brighter filtered light and inspect the roots for soft or rotten tissue before adding fertiliser.
• Pale or bleached patches on exposed leaves: The light is too strong. Move the plant out of direct sun and keep it in filtered light.

Fenestratarum culum 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.

Who first published Fenestratarum culum, and what does the name mean?

Fenestratarum combines the Latin fenestratus, ‘windowed’, with Arum. Culum comes from the Latin culus in an anatomical sense.

Peter Charles Boyce and Sin Yeng Wong established the genus Fenestratarum in 2014 in Aroideana, volume 37E, issue 2, page 8.

Peter Charles Boyce and Sin Yeng Wong first described Fenestratarum culum in 2014 in Aroideana, volume 37E, issue 2, page 8.