Nephthytis poissonii

Natural range and habitat of Nephthytis poissonii

Nephthytis poissonii occurs naturally from Nigeria through western Central Tropical Africa, including Cameroon, Gabon, Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the wild, it grows on the floor of wet tropical forest from a thick rhizome. Leaf shape varies naturally within the species and between its two named varieties.

Care for Nephthytis poissonii

• Light: Keep it in bright filtered light.
• Support: Give the climbing stem a stable vertical support and guide new growth upward while the stem is still flexible.
• Temperature and humidity: Keep temperatures stable around 20–28 °C and avoid prolonged temperatures below 15 °C. Aim for 60–80% humidity.
• Water: Water when the surface begins to dry while the mix below still feels slightly moist. Let excess water drain away.
• Potting mix: Use a loose aroid mix that holds some moisture and drains freely. Bark with perlite or pumice works well around the rhizome and roots.
• Feeding: Feed lightly with a balanced houseplant fertiliser while new leaves are opening.
• Repotting: Repot when the rhizome fills the pot surface, roots crowd the container, or the mix begins to compact. A broad pot leaves room for the rhizome to extend.
• Propagation: Divide an established rhizome into rooted sections with at least one healthy growing point on each piece.

Problems with Nephthytis poissonii

• Leaves droop while the mix feels dry: The root zone has become too dry. Water thoroughly and allow the pot to drain.
• Leaves yellow while the mix stays wet: The roots or rhizome have stayed wet for too long. Check for soft tissue, cut any rot back to firm healthy tissue with a clean tool, discard the removed rotten tissue, and repot into fresh loose mix.
• Leaf edges become dry or brown: Repeated drying, low humidity or fertiliser salts can affect the margins. Water more consistently, raise humidity if the room air is very dry, and run plenty of plain water through the potting mix if fertiliser salts may have built up.
• New leaves are noticeably smaller: Low light or depleted nutrients can reduce leaf size. Increase filtered light and resume light feeding while new leaves are developing.

Nephthytis poissonii 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 Nephthytis poissonii, and what does the name mean?

Nephthytis takes its name from Nephthys, an Egyptian goddess. Poissonii honours the French botanist and museum curator Jules Poisson.

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus Nephthytis in 1857 in Österreichisches Botanisches Wochenblatt, volume 7, page 406.

Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler first described it as Oligogynium poissonii in 1883 in Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, volume 4, page 65. Nicholas Edward Brown later placed it in Nephthytis as Nephthytis poissonii in 1901 in Flora of Tropical Africa, volume 8, page 171.