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.

In a sea of green leaves this plant is a welcome guest.  Rather than having green as it's primary color the Philodendron is a mixture of gray and blue gray with long sword shaped leaves approaching 15 inches (38cm).  It is variable and has several known growth forms.  Little has been published about Philodendron hastatum, the plant's correct name, possibly more about the aroid's misnomer "Philodendron glaucophyllum" and synonym Philodendron elongatum.  Until mid May of 2006 I knew the plant as "P. glaucophyllum".  But when I tried to look the plant up on TROPICOS, a botanical service of the Missouri Botanical Garden, or on the International Plant Names Index (IPNI) the name did not appear.  It did not exist!  This link offers a more complete explanation of natural variation within aroid species.  Click here.

I then posed my question about the authenticity of the name on Aroid l (that's an L), an internet aroid discussion group.  Dr. Tom Croat of the Missouri Botanical Garden, who is the leading North American authority on both  Philodendron sp. and aroids, quickly responded with this quote regarding "P. glaucophyllum", "That was a made up but unpublished name for P. hastatum Engler, a species from the area of Rio de Janiero".  He went on to add, "According to my records P. elongatum is a synonym of P. hastatum Engler and the images I have look identical to those of P. hastatum."   Despite Dr. Croat weighing into the discussion on Aroid l many plant enthusiasts who correspond on the site continued to insist the name "P. glaucophyllum" was in fact a correct scientific name.  I don't know about you, but if it is not found on TROPICOS or IPNI I think I'll put my money on Dr. Croat's opinion! 

Philodendron hastatum is both a runner and a climber.  We have found it to not be the fastest grower in the atrium, but a steady grower that is quite beautiful.  Although often grown by collectors, I've been told several times the plant is an "endangered species".  Since I could not verify that fact I posed the question to an expert who would know, well known Brazilian botanical authority Dr. Eduardo Gonçalves (gon-ZAL-vas) of the Universidade Catolica de Brasilia.  In a  personal email he made these comments: "Philodendron hastatum is not a common species here in Brazil.  I have seen it only a few times in many years (of) collecting aroids, comparing with other Southeastern Brazilian species.  I have to confess that our knowledge is not as good to say that it is endangered, but this is in fact a rare species and would be endangered in a few years if forest clearings continue as it is right now."  Although somewhat common in cultivation, according to Dr.  Gonçalves it can in fact be considered a rare species,  If not already, it may soon become endangered in nature.

In addition to that outlined above, there is more than a bit of confusion regarding this species' botanical history.  Sources even credit different botanists with the naming of the plant.  K. Koch and Sello wrote the original description in 1854 and as such are the botanists of record.  Others have simply re-described the same species, notably a botanist named Adolph Engler (1844-1930).   You can actually find the plant shown on at least one website with the name Philodendron hastatum "Engler".  Engler once attempted to rename the plant Phildoendron elongatum, a name now considered a synonym.  The quotes would imply the specimen is a cultivar which it is not.  P. hastatum is a recognized species.

And to add further to the confusion, the species is variable and may take on different blade shapes which have caused the aroid to be granted multiple scientific names.  This quote is taken from a scientific study on nomenclature and taxonomy of the species, "The morphological variation of the leaves, from juvenile to adult stages, makes specimens identification difficult, especially sterile ones. The major problem, however, seems to be the confusion among the different names that may appear on the labels indiscriminately, such P. hastifolium (of various authors) and P. elongatum Engler.  The present paper aims to clarify some of the problems linked to the name P.hastatum C. Koch & Sello and to suggest a specimen for the neotypification of this name."  You'll note, even that author stated the author as "C" Koch instead of K. Koch.  I have no idea why!  Photos forwarded from Michael Pascall in Australia of Philodendron elongatum only vaguely resemble the plant in our photograph.  Yet, they have been declared by botanists to be the same species, simply variations.  As a result, the name Philodendron elongatum is now simply a synonym.

Our specimen of Philodendron hastatum was acquired from a serious and very knowledgeable plant collector on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.  We have the plant in very porous well draining soil that does not remain soggy when wet.  It receives strong filtered light at least 4 hours a day and has grown to several times the original size.  The specimen is now at least twice as large, with twice the number of leaves, as shown in the photo above.  And despite what you will read on many websites, the plant is not a "deadly poison"!  You can find an article on the homepage of this website explaining more regarding calcium oxalate crystals.

But the controversy over the name of this species continues with a new twist.  An unusually large number of websites including Encyclopedia Britannica On-line, U.S. government sites such as the USDA, a county extension agricultural site, and an often searched garden website have elected to declare Philodendron hastatum is now a synonym of Philodendron domesticum G.S. Bunting.   They at least imply the name Philodendron hastatum is no longer valid.  Many now say the name was officially changed to Philodendron domesticum!  This is nothing more than a misunderstanding of what has been published on some scientific sites!  Some official sites do say that Philodendron domesticum is a "new name" for philodendron hastatum (Hort.).  Note, that name is lower case, non-italicized.  What does that mean?  It means a plant with a horticultural name (a common name) has now been given a scientific name.  It does not mean the scientific name of a known Brazilian species has been changed!  Confused?  Read on!

Philodendron hastatum was described in 1854.  P. domesticum was not described by Bunting until 1966.  They are totally different plants.  Several sites go on to say, and appear to imply, the misnomer "Philodendron glaucophyllum" is a synonym as well.   A synonym?  Not possible!   It is simply a misnomer, a bad name.  When you attempt to look up either "Philodendron glaucophyllum" or Philodendron hastatum on that particular site, and others, you are redirected to Philodendron domesticum.  The agricultural site and others go on to say Philodendron domesticum was "formerly called" Philodendron hastatum.  If you take the name Philodendron hastatum out of italics and do not capitalize the "P", that is true!  But it is not true the scientific name Philodendron hastatum has been changed.  It was the horticultural name "philodendron hastaum" which was changed.  And the later was never a scientific name!  It was, and is, a common name of a completely different plant.

If you are trying to prove the scientific name was changed, all are incorrect according to information received from Dr. Croat as well as the original published work of Bunting on Philodendron domesticum.   Bunting did nothing more than give a scientific name to a plant which may truly be a hybrid.  That plant was known during the 1960's to collectors incorrectly, and non-scientifically, as philodendron hastatum (a common name).  Many plants have common names.  Those are sometimes changed.  Plants are often given new common names.  But scientific names are a different matter.  Once accepted and published, the name is permanent unless a substantial error in the original name can be demonstrated.  No such error has ever been indicated in the case of Philodendron hastatum.

Botanical name changes are not easily made.  To accomplish a name change the subject has to be reviewed by a board of qualified botanists and a serious problem with the original name must be demonstrated.  In other words, you don't easily change the scientific name of a scientific species!  None is indicated on either the International Plant Names Index (IPNI), TROPICOS (Missouri Botanical Garden), ePIC (Royal Botanic Garden Kew), or any other scientific source.  If in fact these species were the same plant (they are not), by default Philodendron domesticum would have to be the synonym since it was the later name introduced to science.  "Philodendron glaucophyllum" has proven to be a false name (thus it cannot be a synonym of anything, simply a common name or misnomer), but Philodendron domesticum is a published species.  So I again asked Dr. Croat to comment via Aroid l.  To the entire Aroid l group he responded: "I am not familiar with what Bunting was calling Philodendron elongatum (and commonly referred to as P. hastatum in horticulture) but P. elongatum was described in 1966 many years after Engler described P. hastatum so P. hastatum cannot be a synonym of P. domesticum." 

The botanical rule is the original recognized scientific name and author receive preference and all other possible published names become the synonyms, not vice-versa.  I sent this information to one of the garden sites suggesting they correct this error since Philodendron hastatum was identified in 1854 and Philodendron domesticum 112 years later in 1966.  Made-up names are never synonyms.   To date, that site persists in redirecting readers to P. domesticum if you search for Philodendron hastatum.

Documentation was forwarded to that site along with Dr. Croat's personal email address so they could verify the material.  My goal has been, and will remain, accuracy.  And Dr. Croat is the ultimate authority in North America on this group of aroids.  I know few botanical experts who would be willing to challenge his opinion which has been scientifically authenticated.  To top it off, Brazil's top aroid botanist, Dr. Eduardo Gonçalves, has seconded Dr. Croat's opinion that Philodendron hastatum is the only accepted name for this species.  They refused, indicated I was wrong, and their error can still be found on the internet.  And in a letter from their attorney, they threatened to sue me if I said they were wrong.  So I won't.  You will have to find their error all by yourself.

I have also come across what may be one source of the controversy.  I found this very interesting quote in Deni Bown's excellent book Aroids, Plants of the Arum Family.  On page 219 Deni writes: "In addition to these species, many elephant's ears in cultivation come under the name Philodendron domesticum (synonym P. hastatum).  No one seems to know where this species came from either".  The same claim is repeated on page 329.  Personally, I would not consider P. hastatum an "elephant's ear".  It appears the belief Philodendron hastatum is now known as Philodendron domesticum may have partially originated for plant collectors from this text.  All photos on the internet described as Philodendron domesticum do not even look similar to the Brazilian species Philodendron hastatum.  At least one variation of P. hastatum has distinctive blue green leaf blades.  However, none of those photos are botanically verified.  In an attempt to get to the source of her belief, i sent an email message to the author at her residence in England but received no response. 

According to numerous email exchanges with Dr. Croat, and a few with Dr. Eduardo Gonçalves, we know exactly where P. hastatum originated: Brazil.  Interestingly, no scientist can tell you where Philodendron domesticum is found in nature!  Many botanists now believe Philodendron domesticum is simply a hybrid (not a species) which was given a scientific name.

I can find nothing on TROPICOS, ePIC, IPNI, or other scientific databases to verify the name Philodendron hastatum has ever been changed.  Dr. Croat's logic appears distinctly to the contrary (you will soon read his opinion).  Despite checking every available database I cannot find anything to indicate where P. domesticum even originated!  it appears P. domesticum is a totally different plant of unknown origin and possibly the plant commonly sold with that name is little more than a hybridized plant created in the 1960's.  It appears it may be nothing more than a dubiously described "species" of a plant developed and sold by horticulturalists.

So what does all this mean?  It appears to be saying G. H. Bunting's name was added to a plant in horticulture that may not be a plant that exists in nature.  But Bunting's plant is not the same species named in botany as Philodendron hastatum.  So I again asked Dr. Croat to comment.  As it turns out, this is apparently nothing more than a "conflict" between horticulture (non-scientists) and botany (scientists).  And in this case the non-scientific horticultural name has over shadowed the true scientific botanical species name.  Horticulturalists have for years applied names, as they see fit (common names), to plants already officially named in botany.  From the very beginning the plant I am attempting to describe on this page is the officially described species from Brazil known to science as Philodendron hastatum.  But horticulturalists appear to be speaking of something totally different: a plant known to non-scientists as philodendron hastatum (lower case, no capital "P", non-italicized).  A man-made hybrid plant not found in nature!

So what will become of the perpetuation of what appears to be a horticultural name error?  I believe this is the final answer in a personal email from Dr. Croat received March 3, 2007: ""I have never seen the type of P. domesticum and doubt if I would know any more if I had seen it.  Just looking at the illustration I could imagine that it could be a dozen different species.  The reason why it is confused with P. hastatum K. Koch is that the plant he described had commonly been called P. hastatum.  Naturally it had nothing to do with P. hastatum.  It was just another cultivated plant of unknown origin.  He accomplished nothing by describing it and instead just created another plant likely never to be understood.   The paper by Sakuragui listed below just deals with the real P. hastatum and has nothing to do with the plant that Bunting described.   I have made a photocopy of Bunting’s paper and will mail it to you but I can’t imagine how this will help you much."

As far as I'm concerned the case is closed!  The Brazilian species Philodendron hastatum IS NOT Philodendron domesticum!  They are two different plants!  I just wish I could convince all the sources who have perpetuated this myth to change what they have written or at least make a better explanation to negate the confusion!  In fact, in Bunting's 1966 paper, which Dr. Croat forwarded, Bunting specifically says he is not writing about the Brazilian species!  Bunting explains he is simply giving a botanical name to a plant which some growers have known by the common name philodendron hastatum.  Bunting carefully explains the two are different species.   Please understand, I can find absolutely no record of where Bunting implied he was changing the name of an established species.   That is nothing more than a myth perpetuated by plant collectors.  It is apparent those interested in horticulture applied the name of Bunting's plant, which apparently has no verified source in nature, to a known Brazilian botanical species which is still known in science as Philodendron hastatum.  Still, it did occur to me that perhaps Bunting was "playing" with us when he granted his plant the name "domesticum".  "Domesticum" as in domesticated?  As in hybridized?  As in "home grown"? 

It is horticultural writers who have distorted an untrue claim in an attempt to prove the name of the scientific Brazilian species has been changed.  The Brazilian species Philodendron hastatum is still Philodendron hastatum.  Philodendron domesticum Bunting is a different plant!

But regardless of what any website says, the name Philodendron hastatum was not changed in science to Philodendron domesticum!  They are two different species and many botanists doubt P. domesticum is even a species. 

Looking for a specimen?  Contact Natural Selections Exotics at www.NSExotics.com

Want to learn more about aroids?
Join the International Aroid Society:  http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Join%20IAS.html