Monstera deliciosa
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Monstera deliciosa |
Monstera deliciosa (also called ceriman, monstereo, Swiss Cheese Plant, Mexican breadfruit, window leaf, and splitleaf philodendron) is a tropical creeping vine native to Mexico and Guatemala, known for its poisonous and delicious fruit. Since it can be grown indoors, it has shown up as decoration in many hotels, restaurants and private homes.
The plant can be recognized by its thick stem and its leathery, glossy, heart-shaped leaves. The leaves, around 2 feet by 3 feet in size, start out totally round with no cracks, but the spaces between the veins of the leaves dry up and crack apart quickly, leaving large spaces. This is thought to be an adaptation to wind and rain in South America, allowing the elements to pass through the plant rather than under it.
Fruit
The fruit of Monstera deliciosa is often referred to as Mexican breadfruit, and looks like a small, green ear of corn lined with hexagonal scales. When it first blooms, the fruit contains so much oxalic acid that it is poisonous, causing immediate and painful blistering and irritation, swelling, itching, and loss of voice. It takes a year for the fruit to ripen, at which point it is safe to eat.
The fruit may be ripened by cutting the fruit when the first scales begin to lift up and the fruit begins to exude a pungent odor, then wrapping the fruit in cloth or paper and setting aside until the fragrance is underpowering. To eat it, you open the fruit, lift or scrape off the outer segments of covering, and eat the custard-like flesh inside, which tastes a bit like pineapple, with some banana and mango thrown in.
Growing Monstera Deliciosa
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Monstera deliciosa can be grown in a number of locations, from tropical to desert to indoors. It grows best at a temperature of 70° - 80° F (21° - 27° C), requires high humidity, and needs shade. Frost will cause it real harm. It blooms around 3 years after it is planted in ideal conditions, and takes 1 year longer for the fruit to ripen. However, it typically does not bloom when grown indoors. The plant can be transplanted by taking cuttings of a mature plant or by air layering.
The seedlings of Monstera deliciosa will grow towards the darkest area they can find until they find a tree to latch onto, at which point they start to grow up towards the light, creeping up the tree.
References and Links
- Fruits of warm climates pp. 15–17 (http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/ceriman.html) (1987) by Julia F. Morton
- Poisonous Plants of North Carolina (1997) by Dr. Alice B. Russell
- Flowering and Fruiting of Monstera Deliciosa (1976) by Gerald Tamblyn
- Monstera Deliciosa (1976) by Muriel Fisch
- Good online reference to monstera deliciosa (http://florawww.eeb.uconn.edu/acc_num/198500876.html)
- An amusing treatise on monstera deliciosa (http://international.tamu.edu/ipa/english/banna/banyanblossom/blo04.html)
- Mexican breadfruit as a food (http://eat.epicurious.com/dictionary/food/index.ssf?DEF_ID=2791&ISWINE=)
- Mexican breadfruit as a poison (http://www.aspca.org/toxicplants/M01900.htm)fi:Peikonlehti