Josefia intricata (Aridarum sp. 'Perisai')

This exceptionally pretty little plant is an Araceae (Aroid) from the Lamandau Regency in Kalimantan Tengah, Borneo. It has a creeping rhizome with leaves up to 22 cm long but only 1 to 1.5 cm wide. The leaves have a very prominent midrib and thick, raised veins along the margins. Between these are further, thinner veins that also stand out. They give the leaves a unique three-dimensional structure. It was formerly known as Aridarum sp. 'Perisai'. "Perisai" is Malay and means "armor"—a very fitting name for these leaves, we think!

It has since been described as a new species by Scherberich et al., under the name Josefia intricata . The paper is freely accessible and can be viewed here .

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 5 cm long, and white.

It is primarily known from the aquarium hobby, although "known" might be the wrong word here. Aridarum are (still) absolute rarities and are very rarely offered for sale, mostly as aquatic plants for aquariums. However, they do not tolerate submerged cultivation (i.e., permanently underwater) for long, even with additional CO₂ dosing. Although they grow directly on the banks of streams and rivers, they are above water for almost the entire year. They occur on bare rock, often in locations exposed to full sun for all or part of the day, and can survive extended periods without water. Only during the rainy season are they submerged for a few weeks. The thickened, leathery, or succulent, stiff leaves are adaptations to this lifestyle.

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 robust plant in a 9cm pot with 4 to 5 leaves (approximately the third image in the gallery). These plants are grown entirely emersed by us, but in very high humidity, and have strong root systems. Please do not use them as aquarium plants.