{"product_id":"monstera-sp-esqueleto-epipremnoides","title":"Monstera sp. 'Esqueleto' (\"epipremnoides\")","description":"Before we get into the rather complicated clarification of this plant's identity, just a quick heads-up: Yes, this is the \u003cstrong\u003ereally\u003c\/strong\u003e big one with the really great drooping leaves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e So, now to \u003cem\u003eMonstera\u003c\/em\u003e taxonomy, my \"favorite\" topic.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThis plant, which is often (still) sold as \u003cem\u003eMonstera epipremnoides\u003c\/em\u003e , is most likely \u003cstrong\u003enot\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eM. epipremnoides\u003c\/em\u003e . The true \u003cem\u003eM. epipremnoides\u003c\/em\u003e is a stenotopic (i.e., low tolerance to changing environmental factors) \u003cem\u003eMonstera\u003c\/em\u003e from the mountains of Costa Rica. There, it only grows at altitudes of 800–1800 m and cannot tolerate the warm temperatures of the lowlands. As a mature plant, it has \u003cstrong\u003epinnately lobed\u003c\/strong\u003e leaves approximately 35–55 cm long and 22–35 cm wide. This means the leaves are deeply dissected, just like those of an \u003cem\u003eEpipremnum pinnatum\u003c\/em\u003e , after which it is named ( \u003cem\u003eepipremnoides\u003c\/em\u003e = \"like an \u003cem\u003eEpipremnum\u003c\/em\u003e \"). \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/static.inaturalist.org\/photos\/118583008\/original.jpeg\"\u003eHere\u003c\/a\u003e is a picture of an \u003cem\u003eM. epipremnoides\u003c\/em\u003e in its natural habitat. \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/images.mobot.org\/tropicosimages4\/detailimages\/TropicosImagesVol4\/101250000\/C2C7F993-6221-4523-9477-AB9034A97983.jpg\"\u003eHere is\u003c\/a\u003e a herbarium specimen of a mature plant. The true \u003cem\u003eM. epipremnoides\u003c\/em\u003e is, to my knowledge, not currently in circulation.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eMonstera\u003c\/em\u003e offered here was considered to be \u003cem\u003e*M. epipremnoides*\u003c\/em\u003e for several years, probably because it looked quite similar to it as \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bisque.cyverse.org\/image_service\/image\/00-ocZJJocme5iorgpyWerBx4?resize=2000\u0026amp;format=jpeg\"\u003ea young plant\u003c\/a\u003e . However, this proved to be incorrect years ago (specifically in 2018), because as these plants grew larger, it became clear that this must be a different, previously undescribed \u003cem\u003eMonstera\u003c\/em\u003e . This undescribed \u003cem\u003eMonstera\u003c\/em\u003e was then officially registered in 2018 by the International Aroid Society as the cultivar ' \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.aroidcultivars.org\/aroid-cultivars\/monstera\/esqueleto\"\u003eEsqueleto\u003c\/a\u003e '. The name is Spanish for \"skeleton,\" which I find very fitting.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eMonstera\u003c\/em\u003e 'Esqueleto' differs from \u003cem\u003eMonstera epipremnoides\u003c\/em\u003e in several striking characteristics. It develops significantly larger leaves, up to 80 cm long and 40 cm wide (!), and these are \u003cstrong\u003enot\u003c\/strong\u003e pinnately lobed. They have very large perforations that extend almost to the leaf margin, as well as a series of smaller perforations along the midrib. Due to these large perforations, the leaves tend to droop and, once they reach a certain size, hang down under their own weight. Also very noticeable is its \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/static.wixstatic.com\/media\/9e33d9_4bd619c9cf6e4d36aa29506a000db7f4~mv2.jpg\/v1\/fill\/w_960,h_720,al_c,q_85,enc_auto\/DFX_6488_JPG.jpg\"\u003ealtered growth habit\u003c\/a\u003e when it reaches its mature size. The internodal distances become very short, and it develops two opposite rows of leaves.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eMonstera\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003esp.\u003c\/em\u003e 'Esqueleto' will likely be described as a separate species in the future. Until then, it should be labelled with the suffix \" \u003cem\u003esp.\u003c\/em\u003e \" after the genus name as a distinct, but unnamed, species and should no longer be sold as \u003cem\u003eM. epipremnoides\u003c\/em\u003e , with which it has very little in common.","brand":"Jungle Leaves","offers":[{"title":"Baby plant","offer_id":56319102255481,"sku":"Mon002-6","price":11.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false},{"title":"small","offer_id":56319102288249,"sku":"Mon002-11","price":39.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false},{"title":"medium","offer_id":56319102321017,"sku":"Mon002-13","price":59.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false},{"title":"large","offer_id":56319102353785,"sku":"Mon002-17","price":89.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false},{"title":"XL","offer_id":56319102386553,"sku":"Mon002-XL","price":239.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0951\/8389\/6953\/files\/Monstera-Esqueleto-XL-02.jpg?v=1764914238","url":"https:\/\/www.jungle-leaves.de\/en\/products\/monstera-sp-esqueleto-epipremnoides","provider":"Jungle Leaves","version":"1.0","type":"link"}