Syngonium podophyllum Schott
Vernacular name: Arrowhead vine, Arrowhead plant, Nephthytis
Species Name: Syngonium podophyllum Schott
Family: Araceae
Habit: Climbing herbaceous perennial vine
Stem: Succulent green climbing stems with aerial roots
Leaf: Juvenile: arrowhead-shaped simple; Adult: pedatisect 3-11 leaflets
Flowering: Rarely indoors; summer outdoors
Flowers: Spadix inflorescence; creamy-white spathe enclosing whitish spadix
Fruit: Reddish-orange to yellow syncarp berries
Uses:
- Leaf sap and root extracts are traditional wound healer (caution: irritant).
- Sap is also applied on tooth cavities to alleviates toothache.
- In some herbal remedies, milk sap from stem is applied externally to treat ant bites.
- Boiled leaf decoction are used to help with stomach aches.
- Plant is tropical understory climber and invasive in Florida wetlands. It is Mexico and Central America native.
- The plant is known to possess poisonous compounds (calcium oxalate) which are known to be toxic to dogs and pets.
- It even causes irritation of lips, tongue and throat when ingested in human body.
- Popular variegated houseplant having trailing (hanging baskets) and climbing foliage.
- Plant absorbs indoor volatile organic compounds like VOCs, formaldehyde and benzene and improve air quality of room and acts as a natural air purifiers.
- Feng shui believed plant to symbolize growth and bring positive energy as its matured 5 lobed leaves represent five elements (fire, water, wood, earth and metal).
