Fenestratarum culum

This exceptionally pretty little plant is an Araceae (Aroid) from an extremely small distribution area (only a single known occurrence!) in the Sungai Durian district, West Kalimantan, Borneo. It has a creeping rhizome with leaves up to 15 cm long but only 0.5 cm wide. The leaves have a very prominent midrib and thick, raised veins along the margins. This gives the extremely narrow leaves a three-striped pattern.

The color of the leaves varies greatly depending on the amount of light the plant receives. In bright light, they are a rich, light green; in low light, they become dark green to almost black. The flowers are nodding, about 3 cm long, and white with transparent windows in the spathe. The genus owes its name to these windows, from the Latin "fenestratus," meaning window-like, + Arum , hence "window-like arum ."

It is primarily known from the aquarium hobby, although "known" might be the wrong word here. Aridarum and Fenestatarum are (still) absolute rarities and are very rarely offered for sale, mostly as aquatic plants for aquariums. They cannot tolerate submerged cultivation (i.e., permanently underwater) for long, even with additional CO₂ dosing. While they grow directly on the banks of streams and rivers, they remain above water for almost the entire year. Only during the rainy season are they submerged for a few weeks. The thickened, leathery, or succulent, stiff leaves are adaptations to this lifestyle. Fenestratarum, in particular, with its incredibly thin leaves, is apparently adapted to locations with extremely active and violent flooding, where its flexible, thread-like leaf blades offer a distinct advantage.

We therefore explicitly recommend NOT placing these plants in an aquarium. They do not thrive there long-term. This misconception is probably the reason they have the reputation of being difficult to care for. In our experience, they are much better suited as plants for paludariums, drip walls, and humid terrariums, and grow very easily when completely emersed (i.e., above water). They look their best when they can grow as they would in nature, for example, attached to a rock or mounted on the back wall of a terrarium. Here is a short video from the natural habitat of a close relative , Aridarum . Anyone interested in learning more about the lifestyle of these quirky little plants can find further information in this excellent overview (in English).



You will receive a flowering plant in a 7cm pot. These plants are grown by us entirely emersed, but in very high humidity, and have strong root systems. Please do not use them as aquarium plants.