Greenhouses: House E

Anthurium magnificum (Araceae)

A selection of plants in this house is to show notable features of tropical plants particularly of humid regions. Large size of herbacous plants is shown by Alocasia portei and members of the banana family like Heliconia caribaea, climbers are reprsented by various aroids like Anthurium, Philodendron, Monstera, stranglers by species of Ficus and Clusia. Epiphytes with different adaptations for collection of substrate, water and nutrient substances are represented by herbacous epiphytes, nest epiphytes, tank epiphytes, succulent epiphytes. Unexpectedly, even some cacti dwell here, besides some well-known epiphytes (Rhipsalis), particularly Pereskia bleo, a leafy cactus from Panama and Colombia. Examples of lianas with conspicuously corky stems can be seen in Passiflora, Strophanthus, and Aristolochia. A screw pine, Pandanus pulcher form Madagascar, show a peculiar type of ramification. Plants from tropical coasts and a young but vigorously growing stand of mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) represent another aspect of the tropical regions. Ant plants are represented by two classical examples, the genus Cecropia, and Acacia cornigera.
[Text: Beat Ernst Leuenberger]

Pereskia bleo