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Chlorophytum comosum

life science Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The spider plant is a very popular houseplant.

Chlorophytum comosum Ampel
Chlorophytum comosum Ampel

It has many names like ribbon plant or airplane plant. People also call it hen and chicks. This evergreen plant belongs to the Asparagaceae family. It is native to tropical and Southern Africa.

Chlorophytum comosum 01
Chlorophytum comosum 01

It has grown in other places like Bangladesh and Western Australia. Many people like the variegated types with white stripes. These colorful leaves make it a favorite for homes.

This plant has a very interesting way it works. It grows long, thin leaves that can be quite long.

2007-06-24Chlorophytum comosum04
2007-06-24Chlorophytum comosum04

The plant has fleshy, tuberous roots to help it grow. It produces flowers on a long, branched stem called an inflorescence.

2006-12-09Chlorophytum07-03
2006-12-09Chlorophytum07-03

These flowers are often greenish-white and grow in small clusters. Most of the flowers eventually die off. This leaves the stem with only a few flowers. The stem eventually bends down to touch the ground.

Scientists have studied this plant for a long time. A Swedish naturalist named Carl Peter Thunberg first described it.

Семя хлорофитума хохлатого под микроскопом
Семя хлорофитума хохлатого под микроскопом

He named it Anthericum comosum in the year 1794. Later, the plant was moved to many different groups. In 1862, a person named Jacques placed it in the genus Chlorophytum. This is the name we use today. Botanists like Axel Dalberg Poulsen and Inger Nordal studied it in 2005.

There are three main varieties of this plant. The first is C. comosum var. comosum with narrow leaves.

SpiderPlantPlantlets
SpiderPlantPlantlets

The second is var. bipindense, which has broader leaves with stripes. The third is var. sparsiflorum, which also has broader leaves. These plants can live in temperatures down to 0°C. They grow best between 15°C and 25°C. Tap water with fluoride can cause burnt tips on the leaves.

Spider plants are very helpful and safe. They are non-toxic to humans and pets.

Chlorophytum comosum Ampel
Chlorophytum comosum Ampel

Some people even say the roots are edible. A study by NASA suggested they might clean the air. They may help remove toxins like formaldehyde and xylene. You can grow new plants by using the little "pups." These are small plantlets that grow on the long stems. You can simply put them in soil to start a new plant.

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🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:2006-12-09Chlorophytum07-03.jpg
2006-12-09Chlorophytum07-03.jpg
File:2007-06-24Chlorophytum comosum04.jpg
2007-06-24Chlorophytum comosum04.jpg
File:Chlorophytum comosum 01.jpg
Chlorophytum comosum 01.jpg
File:Chlorophytum comosum Ampel.jpg
Chlorophytum comosum Ampel.jpg
File:SpiderPlantPlantlets.jpg
SpiderPlantPlantlets.jpg
File:Семя хлорофитума хохлатого под микроскопом.jpg
Семя хлорофитума хохлатого под микроскопом.jpg
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