Epipremnum

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Alismatales

Familia: Araceae
Subfamilia: Monsteroideae
Genus: Epipremnum
Species: E. amplissimum – E. aureum – E. carolinense – E. ceramense – E. dahlii – E. falcifolium – E. giganteum – E. meeboldii – E. moluccanum – E. moszkowskii – E. nobile – E. obtusum – E. papuanum – E. pinnatum – E. silvaticum
Name

Epipremnum Schott, Bonplandia (Hannover) 5: 45 1857.

Type species: E. mirabile Schott = E. pinnatum
(L.) Engl.

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Anthelia Schott, Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 1: 127. 1863.
Type species: A. nobilis Schott ≡ E. nobile
(Schott) Engl.

References

Schott, H.W. 1857. Bonplandia 5: 45.
Epipremnum. In: The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Published on the Internet; http://www.theplantlist.org/ (accessed 1st January).
Epipremnum. In: Govaerts, R. (2015). World Checklist of Araceae. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/ Retrieved 2015-3-7.

Vernacular names
eesti: Nõelköis
suomi: Kultaköynnökset
Nederlands: Scindapsus
svenska: Gullrankesläktet
中文（简体）: 麒麟尾属、麒麟叶属、拎树藤属
中文（繁體）: 麒麟尾屬、麒麟葉屬、拎樹藤屬

Epipremnum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, found in tropical forests from China, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia to Australia the western Pacific.[1][2][3] They are evergreen perennial vines climbing with the aid of aerial roots.[4] They may be confused with other Monstereae such as Rhaphidophora, Scindapsus and Amydrium.

All parts of the plants are toxic, mostly due to trichosclereids (long sharp cells) and raphides. Plants can grow to over 40 m (131 ft) with leaves up to 3 m (10 ft) long, but in containers the size is much reduced. The plants, commonly known as centipede tongavine, pothos or devil's ivy, depending on species, are typically grown as houseplants in temperate regions. Juvenile leaves are bright green, often with irregularly variegated patterns of yellow or white. They may find host trees by the use of Skototropism.[5]
Spadix of Epipremnum pinnatum
Epipremnum aureum

Etymology

From the Greek ἐπί (upon) and πρέμνον (stump).[6]
Species

Epipremnum amplissimum (Schott) Engl. - Queensland, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, Vanuatu
Epipremnum aureum (Linden & André) G.S.Bunting - native to Moorea in Polynesia; naturalized in Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Queensland, Melanesia, Seychelles, Hawaii, Florida, Costa Rica, Bermuda, the West Indies, Brazil, and Ecuador
Epipremnum carolinense Volkens - Micronesia
Epipremnum ceramense (Engl. & K.Krause) Alderw. - Maluku
Epipremnum dahlii Engl. - Bismarck Archipelago
Epipremnum falcifolium Engl. - Borneo
Epipremnum giganteum (Roxb.) Schott - Indochina (Syn. Monstera gigantea (Roxb.) Schot)
Epipremnum meeboldii K.Krause - Manipur region of India
Epipremnum moluccanum Schott - Maluku
Epipremnum moszkowskii K.Krause - western New Guinea
Epipremnum nobile (Schott) Engl. - Sulawesi
Epipremnum obtusum Engl. & K.Krause - Papua New Guinea
Epipremnum papuanum Alderw. - Papua New Guinea
Epipremnum pinnatum (L.) Engl. - widespread across Southeast Asia, southern China, New Guinea, Melanesia, northern Australia; naturalized in West Indies
Epipremnum silvaticum Alderw. Sumatra

Fossil record

3 fossil seeds of †Epipremnum crassum have been described from middle Miocene strata of the Fasterholt area near Silkeborg in Central Jutland, Denmark. Fossils of this species have also been reported from the Oligocene and Miocene of Western Siberia and the Miocene and Pliocene of Europe.[7]
References

Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Govaerts, R. & Frodin, D.G. (2002). World Checklist and Bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae): 1-560. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Flora of China Vol. 23 Page 14, 麒麟叶属 qi lin ye shu, Epipremnum Schott, Bonplandia (Hannover). 5: 45. 1857.
RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
Strong & Ray 1975.
Quattrocchi, Umberto (2016-04-19). CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology (5 Volume Set). ISBN 9781482250640.

Angiosperm Fruits and Seeds from the Middle Miocene of Jutland (Denmark) by Else Marie Friis, The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters 24:3, 1985

Bibliography

Strong, Donald R.; Ray, Thomas S. (1 January 1975). "Host Tree Location Behavior of a Tropical Vine (Monstera gigantea) by Skototropism". Science. 190 (4216): 804–806. doi:10.1126/science.190.4216.804. JSTOR 1741614. S2CID 84386403.