Chlorophytum Comosum

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in biology, Chlorophytum Comosum (Alias:common spider plant Latin:Chlorophytum comosum (Thunb.) Baker)  It is native to tropical and Southern Africa but has become naturalized in other parts of the world, including Western Australia and Bangladesh. Chlorophytum comosum is easy to grow as a houseplant because of its resilience, but it can be sensitive to the fluoride in tap water, which commonly gives it "burnt tips". Variegated forms are the most popular.

Magnolia, Asparagaceae, and Chlorophytum are perennial evergreen herbaceous plants with flat or oblique rhizomes and many thick roots. The leaves are clustered, linear, and the leaves are slender, like orchids. Sometimes there is a green or yellow stripe in the middle. The flower stems are pulled out from the leaves, grow into stolons, and the leaves are clustered at the top, the flowers are white, usually 2-4 clusters, arranged in scattered racemes or panicles, occasionally purple petals appear inside; the capsule is triangular and oblate , about 5 mm long, about 8 mm wide, with 3-5 seeds per cell. The flowering period is May, and the fruiting period is August. The plant has the function of purifying the air, and the whole plant can be used as medicine.

Chlorophytum comosum grows to about 60 cm (24 in) tall, although as a hanging plant it can descend many feet. It has fleshy, tuberous roots, each about 5–10 cm (2–4 in) long. The long narrow leaves reach a length of 20–45 cm (8–18 in) and are around 6–25 millimetres (0.2–1.0 in) wide.

Flowers are produced in a long, branched inflorescence, which can reach a length of up to 75 cm (30 in) and eventually bends downward to meet the earth. Flowers initially occur in clusters of 1–6 at intervals along the stem (scape) of the inflorescence. Each cluster is at the base of a bract, which ranges from 2–8 cm (0.8–3.1 in) in length, becoming smaller toward the end of the inflorescence. Most of the flowers that are produced initially die off, so that relatively, the inflorescences are sparsely flowered.

Individual flowers are greenish-white, borne on stalks (pedicels) some 4–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. Each flower has six triply veined tepals that are 6–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long and slightly hooded or boat-shaped at their tips. The stamens consist of a pollen-producing anther about 3.5 mm (0.1 in) long with a filament of similar length or slightly longer. The central style is 3–8 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long. Seeds are produced in a capsule, 3–8 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long, on stalks (pedicels) that lengthen to up to 12 mm (0.5 in).

The inflorescences carry plantlets at the tips of their branches, which eventually droop and touch the soil, developing adventitious roots. The stems (scapes) of the inflorescence are called "stolons" in some sources, but this term is more correctly used for stems that do not bear flowers and have roots at the nodes.

Chlorophytum likes a warm, humid and semi-shady environment. It has strong adaptability, is more drought-tolerant, and not very cold-tolerant. No matter the soil, it grows better in well-drained, loose and fertile sandy soil. The requirements for light are not strict, and it is generally suitable for growth under medium light conditions, and it is also resistant to weak light. The optimum temperature for growth is 15-25°C, and the overwintering temperature is 5°C. It grows fastest when the temperature is 20-24°C, and it is also easy to draw stolons. Growth stops above 30°C, and the leaves often turn yellow and dry. Keep the room temperature above 12°C in winter, and the plants can grow normally, and the leaves will bloom; if the temperature is too low, the growth will be retarded or dormant; if the temperature is lower than 5°C, cold damage will easily occur.

Chlorophytum can be propagated by cuttings, divisions, and sowing.

cutting method

Chlorophytum cuttings can be carried out at any time from spring to autumn. Cut off the clustered stems and leaves on the stolons of Chlorophytum chinensis (actually a new plant larva with leaves on the top and aerial roots on the bottom), and plant them directly in flowerpots, water them thoroughly and put them in the shade for maintenance. Be careful not to bury the cuttings too deep, otherwise it will be easy to rot. When potting Chlorophytum, the number of cuttings depends on the size of the pot. Generally, 2-3 trees can be planted in small pots, about 3 trees in medium pots, and 5-6 trees in large pots.

Division method

When dividing the spider orchids, you can take the spider orchid plants out of the pot, remove the old soil and rotten roots, cut the old roots, so that there are three stems on the divided plants, and then transplant and cultivate them respectively. You can also cut the clustered stems and leaves on the stolons of Chlorophytum chinensis (actually it is a new plant larva with leaves on the top and aerial roots below), and plant them directly in flower pots for cultivation.

sowing method

Chlorophytum seed propagation can be carried out in March every year. Because the seed particles are not large, the covering soil should not be thick after the seeds are sown, generally 0.5 cm is enough. At a temperature of 15°C, the seeds can germinate in about 2 weeks, and transplant and cultivate after the seedlings are formed. When the varieties with leaf art are propagated by seeds, the progeny will degenerate into all-green varieties.

Substrate requirements

Chlorophytum has strong adaptability to various soils and is easy to cultivate. Fertile sandy loam, humus, peat soil, or fine sandy soil plus a small amount of base fertilizer can be used as potting soil.

container

Any container that can hold water can be used to water Chlorophytum, preferably in a transparent container, so that you can appreciate the dazzling white root system in the water. Glass wine glasses, teacups, mineral water bottles, etc. around you are all economical and beautiful containers for water-growing Chlorophytum.

The container of Chlorophytum in water can be single layer or double layer. The single-layer container is to directly plant Chlorophytum in bottomless glass bottles and plastic bottles. The double-layer container is to take a plastic screen (also known as a planting basket) as the upper layer, and the lower layer is a non-porous bottle container. The spider plant is planted in the upper plastic screen, and the roots of the spider plant are inserted into the lower bottle container.

display

Usually located in a north-facing room with fewer windows, decorating with some potted plants can eliminate the cold feeling. Due to the lack of sunlight, shade-loving plants should be selected. The kitchen is a workplace with frequent operations and fragmented items. The smoke and temperature are relatively high, so it is not suitable to enlarge large potted plants, and hanging potted plants are more suitable. Among them, Chlorophytum is the best. Put a pot of Chlorophytum in the living room, which can absorb harmful gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides in the room within 24 hours, and play the role of an air filter.

maintenance management

illumination

Chlorophytum likes a semi-shady environment. In spring and autumn, it should avoid strong direct sunlight. In summer, the sunlight is particularly strong, so you can only see some oblique light in the morning and evening. During the day, you need to cover 50%-70% of the sunlight, otherwise the leaf tips will dry up, especially It is a variety of flowers and leaves, and is more afraid of strong sunlight. Chlorophytum Phnom Penh will grow more beautiful in places with weak light. The yellow Phnom Penh is more obvious and the leaves are brighter. But in winter, it should be exposed to more sunlight to keep the leaves soft and green. Household potted Chlorophytum should be placed in front of the south window, otherwise the leaves will lose their luster or even wither. When conditions permit, it is best to turn the flower pot to a fixed direction by about 15° every week to ensure that the sagging degree of the Chlorophytum is the same.

watering

Chlorophytum likes a humid environment, and the potting soil is easy to keep moist frequently. Watering should be sufficient in summer, and water should be sprayed on the branches and leaves around noon and in the evening to clean the dust on the leaves in time to prevent the leaves from drying out. However, the fleshy root of Chlorophytum can store a lot of water, so it has a strong ability to resist drought, and it will not dry out without watering for several days. When the temperature is below 5°C in winter, water less and the pot soil should not be too wet, otherwise the leaves will easily turn yellow.

Fertilize

Chlorophytum is a relatively fertilizer-tolerant foliage plant. If there is insufficient fertilizer and water, it will easily become senile, and the leaves will turn yellow and lose its ornamental value. From the end of spring to the beginning of autumn, organic fertilizer solution can be applied every 7-10 days, but for flower and leaf varieties such as Phnom Penh and Golden Heart, less nitrogen fertilizer should be applied to prevent the color of the flowers and leaves from fading or even disappearing, which will affect the appearance. Appropriate application of retting organic fertilizers such as bone meal and eggshells, after full fermentation, take an appropriate amount of diluent and water it every 10-15 days to make the flowers and leaves bright and bright.

Apply liquid fertilizer every two weeks during the growing season. Mosaic varieties should apply less nitrogen fertilizer, otherwise the white or yellow spots on the leaves will become inconspicuous and stop fertilization when the ambient temperature is lower than 4°C.

prune

Usually cut off the yellow leaves at any time. It can be repotted once a year in March, and the old roots, rotten roots and excess fibrous roots should be cut off. Cut off some of the old leaves of Chlorophytum in early and mid-May, which will promote the germination of more new leaves and small Chlorophytum.

The root system of Chlorophytum is quite developed. After a period of cultivation, the flower pots should be replaced in time to avoid accumulation of roots, causing yellow leaves and withering of Chlorophytum.

There are few pests and diseases of Chlorophytum, mainly physiological diseases, yellowing of the front of the leaves, water accumulation in the pot soil and poor ventilation will lead to rotten roots, and root rot may also occur, so fertilizer and water management should be strengthened.

Scale insect control methods:

According to the various occurrences of scale insects, spray pesticides at the peak stage of nymphs. Therefore, most of the nymphs hatched not long ago, the body surface has not yet secreted wax, and the shell has not yet formed, so it is still easy to kill with medicine. Spray once every 7-10 days, 2-3 times in a row. 40% omethoate 1000 times solution, or 50% malathion 1500 times solution, or 255 imophos 1000 times solution, or 50% dichlorvos 1000 times solution, or 2.5% deltamethrin 3000 times solution, spray.

Whitefly control methods:

Water the roots with 500-800 times of carbendazim wettable powder once a week for 2-3 consecutive times.

Aphid control methods:

Spring aphids are one of them and should be wiped out in time. Spray 1500 times omethoate to kill.

Mites

The mites in summer and autumn are the second, and they need to be killed with dicofol 1000 times. Pay attention to ventilation and increase leaf humidity to reduce infection with mites.

Root rot control methods:

For prevention, wet powder can be used to irrigate roots at 2-4 grams per square meter, or 1500-3000 times root irrigation can be used before or at the early stage of onset, with 200 ml of liquid medicine per plant. When the disease is severe, the diseased plants should be removed, and the roots should be used to irrigate the roots.

leaves turning brown

More than 20 days after Chlorophytum entered the room, the abnormal phenomenon of yellowing and browning of the leaves appeared, which may be due to the late entry time and the characteristics of chilling damage caused by low temperature to its leaves. Chlorophytum likes a warm, humid and semi-shady environment. It is not cold-resistant, and is less cold-resistant than ordinary green-leafed Chlorophytum. It is afraid of high temperature and strong light exposure, and it is also not resistant to drought, salinity, and stagnant water. The optimum temperature for its growth is 13-28°C, and the ambient temperature in winter should not be lower than 7°C.

After frost, the lowest temperature in the morning may be close to 4°C. Such temperature conditions will bring obvious chilling damage to Chlorophytum plants. Although it was not immediately manifested at the time, after being moved indoors, due to reasons such as insufficient light, dry air, high room temperature, and poor ventilation, the Chlorophytum plants that had suffered from chilling would inevitably show green stripes, yellowing, leaves, etc. on the leaves. Features such as brown edges. However, as long as the fleshy root system has not been rotted and necrotic due to cold damage, etc., move it to a place with bright light, control the watering of the pot soil, increase the water spray on the leaves, and repot it before going out in the next spring; Remove dead and dead leaves, strengthen water and fertilizer management, and the plants can quickly recover vigorous growth.

tip protection

Under normal circumstances, household potted Chlorophytum is prone to dry leaf tips and gradually loses its luster. In order to maintain and manage Chlorophytum well, the following measures need to be taken.

Change soil and basin

In terms of management of potted Chlorophytum, in order to ensure lush stems and leaves, the soil and pots should be changed once a year in March. If the pot is deep and the base fertilizer is sufficient, the pot can be changed every two years. When repotting, knock the plants out of the pot, cut off the dead rot and excess root system, replace with new humus-rich culture soil, and then apply livestock hoof horn slices or decomposed cake fertilizer as base fertilizer. After planting, put the seedlings in a warm and semi-shady place. The optimum growth temperature for Chlorophytum is about 25°C. After the plants recover and grow vigorously, hang the flower pots under the eaves of the corridor or in a suitable place indoors. Generally, it is advisable not to touch the head at the height, and attention should be paid to ventilation. The lower dead leaves and yellow leaves should be removed at any time. When the tip of the leaf turns yellow, use scissors to cut off the yellow head at an angle. Normal humidity should be maintained at ordinary times, and it should not be dry or too wet.

Medicinal

Indications

Resolving phlegm and relieving cough; dissipating blood stasis and reducing swelling; clearing heat and detoxifying. Main phlegm-heat cough; bruises; fractures; carbuncles; hemorrhoids; burns. For children with high fever, lung heat cough, vomiting blood, bruises, swelling and pain and other effects.

watch

Chlorophytum is a perennial herb with slender and drooping branches. It blooms small white flowers in summer or other seasons when the temperature is high. The flowers are concentrated at the ends of the hanging branches. The stamens are yellow, and the small inner leaves are sometimes purple. It can be used as a potted plant.

Purify the environment

Chlorophytum is easy to grow and has strong adaptability. It is one of the most traditional hanging plants in the room. Its leaves are slender and soft, and small plants emerge from the leaf axils, drooping from the edge of the pot, stretching and drooping, like flowers, evergreen in all seasons.

Chlorophytum can carry out photosynthesis under weak light, can absorb more than 80% of harmful gases in the room, and has a strong ability to absorb formaldehyde. If you grow 1-2 pots of spider orchids in a general room, its adsorption capacity for formaldehyde is equivalent to that of 10g of coconut fiber charcoal, which can completely absorb the toxic gases in the air. A pot of spider orchids in a room of 8-10 square meters is equivalent to in an air purifier. Since formaldehyde and other harmful gases are continuously released in newly renovated houses, environmental protection experts suggest that after decoration, keep more ventilation, and plant a few pots of spider plants and other green plants, so that the new house can basically meet the occupancy standard after being vacant for three to six months; Chlorophytum At the same time, it can absorb carbon monoxide and nitrogen peroxide emitted by stoves, electrical appliances, and plastic products. It can also decompose benzene and absorb relatively stable harmful substances such as nicotine in cigarette smoke. Therefore, Chlorophytum is also known as "air guard".

Nano-adsorption: The pore diameter is between 0.27-0.98 nanometers, and it is arranged in crystals. At the same time, it has weak electricity. The molecular diameters of formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, toluene, and xylene are all between 0.4-0.62 nanometers, and they are all polar molecules. They have the characteristics of preferentially adsorbing harmful gases such as formaldehyde, benzene, and TVOC, and achieve purification. The effect of indoor air.