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