Hapaline appendiculata 'Tricolor'

Cultivated form and natural range of Hapaline appendiculata 'Tricolor'

Hapaline appendiculata 'Tricolor' is a cultivated variegated form of Hapaline appendiculata with silver, light-green and deep-green marbling.

Hapaline appendiculata is endemic to Sarawak on Borneo, where it grows in moist lowland evergreen forest in deep humus and leaf litter over shale or basalt.

Care for Hapaline appendiculata 'Tricolor'

• Variegated leaves: Place it in bright indirect light and protect the silver and pale-green areas from harsh midday sun.
• Warmth and humidity: Keep temperatures around 19–27 °C and avoid prolonged temperatures below 18 °C. Aim for 60–80% humidity with gentle airflow around the foliage.
• While leaves are present: Keep the mix lightly moist, allowing the surface to lose some moisture before watering again. Let excess water drain freely after each watering.
• Potting mix: Use a humus-rich aroid mix with fine bark, perlite or pumice so the tuber and roots have both moisture and air.
• Feeding: Use a weak fertiliser while new leaves are forming.
• When the foliage disappears: A firm tuber can remain dormant after the leaves yellow and die back. Pause feeding and keep the mix barely moist until a new shoot appears.
• Repotting and division: When daughter tubers begin crowding the pot, repot and separate firm tubers with an intact growing point.

Common problems with Hapaline appendiculata 'Tricolor'

• Silver or pale areas turn tan and papery: Strong direct sun or dry potting mix may be responsible. If the mix is dry, water thoroughly. If the plant has recently received stronger sun, move it into filtered light and reintroduce direct sun gradually.
• Leaves curl or become crisp while the mix is dry: The plant needs water or the surrounding air has become very dry. Water the mix thoroughly and raise humidity if the air is very dry.
• Leaves yellow while the mix stays wet: The mix is staying too wet. Reduce watering, improve drainage and check the tuber for soft tissue.
• The tuber softens or develops a sour smell: Rot has started in the tuber. Remove soft tissue back to a firm clean margin with a sterile tool, discard the rotten tissue, let the wound dry, and place the healthy part in fresh airy mix.

Hapaline appendiculata ‘Tricolor’ 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 Hapaline appendiculata, and what does the name mean?

Hapaline carries the Greek sense of “delicate” or “tender”. Appendiculata means “bearing small appendages” and refers to details of the flower.

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus Hapaline in 1858 in Genera Aroidearum, page 44.

Henry Nicholas Ridley first described Hapaline appendiculata in 1908 in Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, volume 49, page 47.