Aglaonema commutatum Schott

Upright plant to nearly 2 m tall. Leaves mostly oblong to elliptic, to 25 cm long and 10 cm wide with pale variegation in bars following the primary lateral veins, but variable in the cultivars available; stalk mostly about the same length as the blade and with a membranous sheath. Spathe pale green to about 8 cm long. Spadix stalked and slightly shorter than the spathe. Fruit to 2.5 cm long, turning yellow then red.

A popular species with a range of variegated cultivars available including:

A. crispum (Pitcher & Manda) Nicolson, Painted Drop-tongue, from the Philippines. Syn. A. roebelinii Pitcher & Manda.

A. nitidum (Jack) Kunth is sometimes available, mostly as the cultivar 'Curtisii' which has silver stripes along the veins.

A. costatum N.E. Br. from SE Asia, Spotted Evergreen, has a creeping stem and scale leaves that are deliquescent.

Philippines.

Source: Spencer, R. (2005). Araceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

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Distribution map

Aglaonema commutatum 'Pseudobracteatum'

Leaf blade variegated in 3 marbled colours around the veins and with general spotting; leaf stalk white with green marking.

Aglaonema commutatum 'Silver Queen'

Leaves silvery green-edged and striped with dark green and pale around the veins on the upper surface.

Aglaonema commutatum 'Treubii'

Leaves as above, but particularly narrow. ['Grafii']

kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Lilianae
order      Alismatales
family       Araceae
genus        Aglaonema Schott