I spent quite a bit of time in early 2006 researching this plant.  I thought I had learned enough to accurately post the details but new information came to light that totally blew away my research!   That was because I had been assured by several collectors that naturalist and conservationist Joep Moonen (pronounced yupe or jupe) had discovered this rare plant in the jungles of French Guiana near Brazil in South America.  Joep is a Dutch naturalist living in French Guiana and I had been told the plant was being named in his honor as "Philodendron joepii".  But when I'd go to TROPICOS or the International Plant Names Index (IPNI) to verify that information no such plant as "Philodendron joepii" ever showed up.  Joep (yupe or jupe) and I have become good friends via email.  We exchange information 4 or more days a week.  As was confirmed in September 2006 in a series of personal emails from Joep that yet unpublished plant (Philodendron 'joepii') is a totally different plant form than the one shown above.  I later learned the confusion arose more than a year ago at the International Aroid Society meeting in Miami when Joep was asked if the two were species were the same.  Either Joep misunderstood the question or the person who asked misunderstood his answer.  They are not.  But the bad information stuck.

The plant nicknamed Philodendron 'joepii' by a botanist in Joep's honor is a tri-lobed species with two smaller lobes at the top aiming upwards and outwards at roughly a 45 degree angle.  It is similar to this plant, but the upper portion of the main lobe is much narrow and the lower portion of that main lobe is substantially wider.  (See the link to the Confusion over Two Rare Plants on our homepage.  Joep recently provided me with original transparencies of the plant known as Philodendron 'joepii' and I have now posted a page explaining that plant as well as Philodendron moonenii which is an additional rare plant discovered in French Guiana by Joep.

That second plant, now formally named Philodendron moonenii Croat, is not part of the group being discussed here.  It is totally different from either of the two plants known as P69686 or P. 'joepii'.  Philodendron moonenii is basically a large oval philodendron.  Joep has also provided his own original photographs of P. moonenii and I have added those to the new page to help clear up the confusion over all three plants.  According to information personally confirmed by Joep the only photo found until recently on a very reputable internet site noted as "P. moonenii" was actually the unpublished P. 'joepii'.  That error has since been corrected.  Monsieur Moonen is credited with the discovery of a fair number of rare plants including being one of the discoverers of the recently described Monstera barrieri Croat, Moonen & Poncy .  Dr. Croat has also recently published two other plants discovered by Joep. 

I recently saw a photo of an unusual plant on eBay which the seller declared to be similar to P. moonenii.  The plant offered for sale bore no resemblance to Philodendron moonenii.  The confusion of misidentified photos and misconceptions among collectors has made this a most confusing six months of research and the story of their being named incorrectly dates back several years.  One knowledgeable collector along with responses from Joep and Dr. Croat have finally cleared up the mystery.   Hopefully with Joep's personal photographs and cooperation the confusion can finally be put to rest.  Philodendron species, and especially hybrid forms, are known to be highly variable and not every leaf of every specimen will always appear the same.  This link explains in greater detail the scientific principals of natural variation and morphogenesis.  Click here.

While wading through all those misconceptions I received  information from Dr. Tom Croat of the Missouri Botanical Garden that the plant shown above originally came to his attention quite a long time ago via Bette Waterbury from the plant collection of Brazilian Roberto Burle-Marx (1909-1994).  Burle-Marx was an artist and one of the best known landscape and garden designers of the 20th century.  His personal collection was the envy of many collectors and his gardens were both fabulous and famous.  Burle-Marx had many hybrid plants in his collection used to beautify his garden.  As a result some collectors and researchers have come to the conclusion he had little concern for the correct botanical name for his plants.  Leland Miyano from Hawaii knew Roberto personally, and for a while lived on Roberto's property.  Recently he provided some pertinent information in a personal letter.   I feel it is important to include one of Leland's quotes to address this perception, "I wish to clarify something about Roberto.  He was very much concerned about taxonomy and the correct identification of his collections.  That is specifically why he loved it when the brightest and the best botanists visited.  He always said he was not a botanist...but that is why he depended on their knowledge.  Simon Mayo was studying the Meconostigma of Brazil while I was there and we used to walk through the collection with him...picking his brain.  There were so many botanists through the years...specialists in so many families.  He (Roberto) has many hybrids and plants that look good in landscape because he was a lover of all plants.  He would have grown it all if he could.  The genius of Roberto is that he was so much more than just plants...art, music,and literature...he could discuss or perform with equal flair...in several languages!"

The number 69686 is an accession number given the plant for research by Dr. Croat and the plant possibly came from the jungles of Brazil since many of Marx's plants came from that country.  But perhaps not.  Dr. Croat said in a recent email the plant does not have a "known origin and I am not even sure that it is not a hybrid".   Since the plant has no collection history and nothing can be found to verify where it was actually found I must trust the instincts of Dr. Croat and assume it may not actually be a species.  Regardless, it is an unusual form and rare among collectors.  Since our specimen is not fully mature we have yet to see a fully developed leaf.  However, a recently furnished photo of a large group of these plants directly from the Burle Marx collection shows a near identical leaf form to the photo above.  Our specimen currently has leaves approximately 13 inches long (33cm).  We have seen photos of a plant having leaf blades approximately 2 feet long (60cm).  The leaf blades change shapes as they mature as can be seen by comparing the different leaf forms on our specimen.  A collector in Florida, whose specimen was purported to be fully mature, had a plant with rounded lobe ends.  Another knowledgeable collector believes the rounded lobes are common only to immature plants.  Personally, I am unsure but can say I have only see the rounded lobes in immature leaves.  So far we have not seen the rounded lobes on any of our specimen's leaves at any stage of growth after the newest leaves formed.  As a result I now question if the photo was of this species/hybrid or perhaps something else entirely. 

Our specimen is now mature enough to begin to produce an inflorescence which is odd if in fact it is not mature.  Two spathes can be seen forming in the inset photo above on either side of the center leaf.  Unfortunately, one spathe dropped off before opening and we were in hopes the second would open in order to be photographed.  It didn't.  Or so I thought!  Recently while visiting in Dr. Croat's office I told him about my 69686 spathes and how they had not opened.  He reached to the corner of his desk and picked up a bag with several spathes identical to mine.  They too were unopened.  Dr. Croat then peeled one open and explained these were mature and had fallen from the same species (or hybrid), P69686.  He further explained the species requires a particular scarab beetle to pollinate the plant.  The spathe opens, but only briefly.  If you are not present at the exact moment it opens you will miss the event entirely.  The beetle, and often his mate, enter the spathe and do their courtship dance while feasting on part of the spadix.  The beetles then pick up pollen on their bodies which they carry to another plant thus insuring further plant pollination.  I just didn't see either open.  And I don't have the beetle. 

Philodendron 69686 is now confirmed as the correct accession number but this plant was sold to me as Philodendron 696869a which makes all of this even more confusing.  P69686a is also one of Dr. Croat's accession numbers but came from a different research specimen of the same "species".  I again recently saw a plant on eBay listed a P696869a.  That number is not one of Dr. Croats accession numbers.  Somewhere along the line someone has added a digit.   Even more confusing to botanists is the knowledge the plant has no "history" other than having been in a specific plant collection.  Most plants do not receive botanical names without some sort of accurate and verifiable collection data.  

Our specimen has developed a reasonably thick cane with air roots and has become a climbing epiphytic vine.  It now stands over 4 feet (120cm) tall and regularly adds new leaves.  Three approximately 18 inch (46cm)leaves have been added in the fall of 2006.  So far Philodendron 69686 has proven to be pleased with very high humidity, semi-bright light and otherwise typical rainforest conditions.   We have it planted in a well draining equal mixture of good potting soil, orchid potting media, Perlite™ and peat.  The plant is watered daily in the summer and at least 3 days a week in the winter.  The soil mixture is never allowed to completely dry.

An additional bit of "spice" from the Spice Island was added to the "mystery" recently when a successful grower from the island of Grenada read this article and made this observation in an email, "Philodendron 69686 has a strong resemblance to Philodendron tenue".  I'm now trying to locate a specimen of P. tenue so I can make further personal observations. 

So is it a species or a hybrid?  I don't know.  I just know it's an interesting specimen.  And according to direct communication from Dr. Croat it is not likely to receive a botanical name any time soon.

Both inset photos of Philodendron 'joepii' and Philodendorn monenii were provided by Joep Moonen (pronounced yupe or jupe).  For information on Joep's eco-tours to the rainforests of South America contact Joep Moonen (pronounced yupe or jupe) at EmeraldJungleVillage@wanadoo.fr

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