Cultivating Carnivorous Plants (2015)
TRIPHYOPHYLLUM
One of the most unusual
carnivorous
plants
has
to
be
Triphyophyllum peltatum. It is so unusual
because it is a woody vine (liana) that
produces three kinds of leaves. In its
juvenile stage, it has long lanceolate
leaves that radiate out from a central
stem. After reaching around a foot (31
cm) tall, it begins to produce its
second type of leaf. This is the only
carnivorous leaf produced by the
plant. These carnivorous leaves are
long and filiform, like Drosophyllum,
and typically grow in sets of three.
After several sets of these have been
produced in combination with the
long lanceolate leaves, the plant begins
to produce its third type of leaf. These
leaves are short, largely lanecolate and
end in a forked, scroll pattern. These
leaves are the primary type found on
the plant, and they assist it to climb
high
into
the
jungle
canopy.
Occasionally, carnivorous leaves will
be produced along the length of the
mature, woody vine.
In the wild, Triphyophyllum is
native to dense, humid, evergreen
forests of West Africa, although the
exact extent of its range is not now
precisely known. Commonly it can be
found growing with Eremospathua
Triphyophyllum peltatum in cultivation.
macrocarpa (a type of palm) and
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CULTIVATING CARNIVOROUS PLANTS
Diospyros mannii (a nut-producing tree). Small Triphyophyllum plants are almost always found growing in the
dense-to-semi-dense shade of large trees.
Ordinarily, Triphyophyllum would not be covered in books about cultivating carnivorous plants, but, in the
last few years, attempts to introduce it to tissue culture have been more successful and, although still rare in
cultivation, it does appear to be spreading outside of botanical gardens. Experiments on how to grow this
plant are still limited in number, and much is not yet known. Success, however, has been found in growing
the plant in semi-shaded, hothouse conditions, allowing the temperatures to never fall below 65° F (18° C),
and using fine, hydroponic clay as a potting medium. Air humidity should remain high at all times.
.
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