Identification: Lily-type plant?

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by pharasalia, May 8, 2007.

  1. pharasalia

    pharasalia Member

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    Hi everyone!

    I'm trying to identify a houseplant that is very important to me. It was a gift at my baby's funeral - someone thought (rightfully) that a live plant rather than cut flowers would be more cheerful. It used to have a tag but I can't for the life of me remember what it said and its gone now. I've been faithfully keeping this plant alive through thick and thin for - well, it will be four years in June.

    It has been thriving but I need to know what it is because its going to need trimming or cutting or repotting... or something soon. Plus I think possibly staking?

    It was florist delivered so it must be a common type plant. Its pretty large and sits in a large pot on the floor. It has oblong leaves that are a light green color speckled with darker green. The stems are flexible towards the ends but harder and sturdier towards the base, a dark green color. It blooms white lily - type flowers and does well in indirect light. Some of the branches (for lack of a better term, I'm not very plant knowledgeable) have grown so that they are heavy and lay over the edge of the pot almost resting on the floor.

    I have been looking all over for pics of something similar but haven't had any luck yet. I have looked long and hard at pics of Calla Lily and Easter lily and it is definitely NOT one of these. The blooms do not grow off a tall spiny type stalk like in the easter lily nor do they grow tall above the plant like the Calla (plus the blooms seem smaller than that) or the peace lily, nor do any of those have the same colored leaves.

    Can anyone help? I will have to come back and post pics tomorrow - I keep the plant at work and didn't think to bring my dig cam in today.
     
  2. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Sorry to hear about your loss.

    I think a photograph would be helpful, though you've given a good description - one of the folks with expertise on indoor plants might be able to get it from your written description.
     
  3. saltcedar

    saltcedar Rising Contributor 10 Years

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  4. riptidefrog

    riptidefrog Active Member

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  5. pharasalia

    pharasalia Member

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    Sorry I was not back promptly to post pictures. I had some camera troubles. It does not look like any of the plants suggested so far and I'd really really appreciate relearning what this is so I can properly care for it =P

    05-14-07_1409.jpg

    05-14-07_1410.jpg

    05-14-07_1413.jpg
     
  6. saltcedar

    saltcedar Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen)just as I said.

    HTH
    Chris
     
  7. pharasalia

    pharasalia Member

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    Are you sure? The picture link you posted for that name doesn't look like my plant.
     
  8. Margaret

    Margaret Active Member 10 Years

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    I am sorry to hear about your child. While I cannot identify the plant the following thoughts may be useful. When I Googled Aglaonema none of the pictures showed one in flower which leads to the question, do they flower as you said yours did. Also when you do identify the plant you may want to find out how to propagate it so that you will always have one.
    Margaret
     
  9. saltcedar

    saltcedar Rising Contributor 10 Years

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  10. pharasalia

    pharasalia Member

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    Thank you all for your responses and kinds words.. On further research, there seem to be 65 species of aglaonema and while the one photo didn't look like my plant at all I do believe it is a type of aglaonema. I believe mine to be the Silver King variety but am not 100% sure. I really appreciate the help everyone. Hehe. I'll have to come back tomorrow w/ a new search for one of the plants at my office =P
     
  11. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

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    The vast majority of Aglaonema sold today are hybridized variations of one or more species. A hybrid is created by using pollen from one species and applying it to another in order to come up with a new variety. Once a hybrid is matched with another hybrid it becomes impossible to figure out what the parents were without expensive and sophisticated genetic tests. As a result, they often look quite different. No wonder you can't find a match on the internet. And since they are hybrids you cannot find a species photo to match any.

    Most are now created in labs by plant tissue culture companies, some in central Florida. A tissue culture is little more than a surgically removed leaf tip which is then used to create an exact genetic duplicate of the parent plant. The tissue culture company can then grow many thousands of the plants inexpensively. These are then sold to growers who grow them out and sell them to the normal retail sources such as florists. Most have names but they are simply names given to them by the tissue culture company or hybridizer.

    But your plant is certainly some variation of an Aglaonema.
     

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