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Epipremnum pinnatum

(L.) Engl. (1908)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Alismatales Family: Araceae Genus: Epipremnum

golden pothos, pothos, taro vine

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: High–climbing lianas or hemiepiphytes.

Stems: Stems to 2–4 cm in diameter, often with aerial roots.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades ovate to broadly ovate lanceolate or cordate, up to 1 m long and 0.5 m wide. Blades green with irregular yellow markings. Margins entire in juveniles, pinnatifid in adult plants. Petioles stout, sulcate, up to 32 cm (or more?) long, cataphylls soon withering but persistent as a fibrous mat. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences several together, erect; spathe cream, soon withering, navicular; spadix cream, up to 17 cm long and 3 cm in diameter, slightly shorter than spathe. Flowers unisexual, naked. Calyx absent. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens 4. Ovary superior, truncate, 1-celled or partially 2-celled; ovules 2(–8), basal on an intrusive placenta; stigma sessile, oblong-linear.

Fruit: Berries 1–2–seeded. Seeds reniform; ca. 4.5 × 3.5 mm.

Ploidy: 2n = 50; 60; 70; 74

Habitat: Common as an escaped hemiepiphytic vine; climbing on the trunks of trees and into the forest canopy; primarily in disturbed areas and along roadsides.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Synonyms (48)

Epipremnum angustilobum K.Krause (1911)
Epipremnum crassifolium Engl. (1898)
Epipremnum elegans Engl. (1879)
Epipremnum elegans f. ternatensis Alderw. (1922)
Epipremnum formosanum Hayata (1915)
Epipremnum glaucicephalum Elmer (1938)
Epipremnum merrillii Engl. & K.Krause (1908)
Epipremnum mirabile Schott (1858)
Epipremnum mirabile f. eperforatum Engl. (1898)
Epipremnum mirabile f. multisectum Engl. (1898)
Epipremnum pinnatum f. multisectum (Engl.) Engl. (1908)
Epipremnum pinnatum var. aureum
Epipremnum pinnatum ‘Aureum’
Epipremnum robinsonii K.Krause (1912)
Monstera caudata (Roxb.) Schott (1830)
Monstera dilacerata (K.Koch & Sello) K.Koch (1855)
Monstera pinnata (L.) Schott (1830)
Philodendron dilaceratum Engl. (1879)
Philodendron nechodomae Britton (1926)
Philodendron nechodomii Britton
Philodendron pinnatum (L.) André (1866)
Polypodium laciniatum Burm.f. (1768)
Pothos caudatus Roxb. (1820)
Pothos decursivus Wall. (1831)
Pothos pinnatifidus Roxb. (1820)
Pothos pinnatus L. (1763)
Rhaphidophora caudata (Roxb.) Schott (1860)
Rhaphidophora crassifolia (Engl.) Alderw. (1920)
Rhaphidophora cunninghamii Schott (1861)
Rhaphidophora dilacerata (K.Koch & Sello) K.Koch (1864)
Rhaphidophora formosana (Hayata) M.Hotta (1970)
Rhaphidophora laciniata (Burm.f.) Merr. (1921)
Rhaphidophora lovellae F.M.Bailey (1897)
Rhaphidophora merrillii Engl. (1905)
Rhaphidophora neocaledonica Guillaumin (1937)
Rhaphidophora pinnata (L.) Schott (1857)
Rhaphidophora pinnatifida (Roxb.) Schott (1857)
Rhaphidophora rosenburghii Furtado (1935)
Rhaphidophora vitiensis Schott (1861)
Rhaphidophora wallichii Schott (1860)
Scindapsus bipinnatifidus Teijsm. & Binn. (1866)
Scindapsus caudatus (Roxb.) Schott (1832)
Scindapsus decursivus Moritzi (1854)
Scindapsus dilaceratus K.Koch & Sello (1853)
Scindapsus forsteri Endl. (1836)
Scindapsus pinnatifidus (Roxb.) Schott (1832)
Scindapsus pinnatus (L.) Schott (1832)
Tornelia dilacerata (K.Koch & Sello) Schott (1860)

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Not in flora
Maui Not in flora
Hawai'i Not in flora

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Pflanzenr., IV, 23B: 60 (1908)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1359 (K, O, M, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:594, 595 (KEY), 604 (DESCR); Oppenheimer 2007:18 (Mo); Faccenda & Strong 2024:172 (E. pinnatum misapplied, in part = E. aureum, remove Mo, M, H [re-IDed as E. aureum], KEY)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Epipremnum pinnatum Honolulu: Nuuanu Valley; 3785 Old Pali Road; residence of Betty Ho Growing on a post in full sun. Preserved_Specimen A root-climber. Lau, J. 2287 Oahu BISH 1986-04-21
2 Epipremnum pinnatum Wahiawa; Wahiawa Botanic Garden A root-climber climbing many meters up a shaded tree trunk. Preserved_Specimen Spathe within creamy yellow; without avocado green. Lau, J. 2225 Oahu BISH 1986-04-14
3 Epipremnum pinnatum Lihue, Haiku Road, ~1/4 mi from Hulemalu road jct., E fork toward power plant Samanea, Macaranga, Panicum, Syzygium, Hibiscus, Merremia Preserved_Specimen vine, climbing to 30-40'; stems glossy, mottled yellow and green, freely rooting; petiole pale green, blade glossy dark green, whitish speckles above, below paler, glossy with raised whitish veins; pedicel pale green with waxy bloom; spadix pale green to bluish green; old spathe dark brownish Flynn, T.W. 7118 Kauai BISH 2004-04-02
4 Epipremnum pinnatum Koloa District; Lawai Valley Allerton Garden, Lawai Kai, from Jungle Garden area Near coast. Preserved_Specimen Hemiepiphyte climbing tree. Adult leaves uniformly dark green, pinnatifid, juvenile leaves entire, green. Grown as a ground cover throughout garden. Lorence, D.H. 7458 Kauai BISH 1994-05-16
5 Epipremnum pinnatum Lihue, Haiku Road, ~1/4 mi from Hulemalu road jct., E fork toward power plant Samanea, Macaranga, Panicum, Syzygium, Hibiscus, Merremia Preserved_Specimen vine, climbing to 30-40'; stems glossy, mottled yellow and green, freely rooting; petiole pale green, blade glossy dark green, whitish speckles above, below paler, glossy with raised whitish veins; pedicel pale green with waxy bloom; spadix pale green to bluish green; old spathe dark brownish Flynn, T.W. 7118 Kauai BISH 2004-04-02
6 Epipremnum pinnatum Makiki; Honolulu: Makiki Heights area; 2377 Makiki Heights Dr In partial shade. A root climber climbing on walls and tree trunks, or trailing on the ground. Preserved_Specimen Spathe cream. Spadix medium green. Lau, J. 2072 Oahu BISH 1986-03-03
7 Epipremnum pinnatum Makiki Valley Loop Trail Near start of trail, disturbed moist forest Preserved_Specimen Abundant along with E. aureum Faccenda, K. 2050 Oahu BISH 2021-07-14
8 Epipremnum pinnatum Honolulu: Manoa Valley; Lyon Arboretum Upper Lawn Mauka Climbing vines growing into trees. Preserved_Specimen Climbing vine. Spence, G. 462 Oahu BISH 1977-03-01
9 Epipremnum pinnatum Honolulu: Nuuanu Valley; 2436 Burbank St., J. L. Robertson's garden Preserved_Specimen Entire and lobed leaves from one vine. Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1943-07-01
10 Epipremnum pinnatum Koloa Dist.; NTBG, Lawai Valley, Maidenhair Falls section, east of Lawai Stream On rocky slope. Cultivated as ground cover. Preserved_Specimen Hemiepiphytic vine; leaves uniformly green, perforated when juvenile; infl. on terminal shoots, spathe yellow-green within, green without, spadix cream-yellow. Lorence, D.H. 7600 Kauai BISH 1994-11-02
11 Epipremnum pinnatum Honolulu: Manoa Valley; Lyon Arboretum Upper Lawn Mauka Climbing vines growing into trees. Preserved_Specimen Climbing vine. Spence, G. 462 Oahu BISH 1977-03-01
12 Epipremnum pinnatum Makiki; Honolulu: Makiki Heights area; 2377 Makiki Heights Dr In partial shade. A root climber climbing on walls and tree trunks, or trailing on the ground. Preserved_Specimen Spathe cream. Spadix medium green. Lau, J. 2072 Oahu BISH 1986-03-03
13 Epipremnum pinnatum Koloa Dist.; NTBG, Lawai Valley, Maidenhair Falls section, east of Lawai Stream On rocky slope. Cultivated as ground cover. Preserved_Specimen Hemiepiphytic vine; leaves uniformly green, perforated when juvenile; infl. on terminal shoots, spathe yellow-green within, green without, spadix cream-yellow. Lorence, D.H. 7600 Kauai BISH 1994-11-02
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