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SWISS CHEESE PLANT (Monstera deliciosa)



Monstera deliciosa is so named because of the large size of its leaves and because it produces a delicious fruit that is said to have the flavors of both a banana and a pineapple. It is known as the Swiss Cheese Plant because the fenestrations in its leaves resemble the holes seen in Swiss cheese varieties like Emmental. 

THE MAGNIFICENT MONSTERA PLANT - HOW WAS IT NAMED? 

Many explorers may contribute to the discovery of a plant, but the credit for doing so is often elusive. One such person is Charles Plumier, who, on a trip to the Americas, discovered this plant in the lush and steamy jungles of Central America. (1) He named the plant Arum hederaceum, amplis foliis perforatis, the Latin meaning being a plant in the arum family with perforated leaves. 

Discoveries of new plants are made by explorers who may face perilous challenges while trudging through tropical forests in search of new flora and fauna. But there is another kind of explorer who sits at his desk and studies specimens that have been shipped to him to satisfy the need for exotic plants for European botanical gardens.  One such person was Michael Adanson. Once Adanson had explored the jungles of Senegal and had encountered the Baobab 

tree, which is now called Adansonia digitata.  In one of the crates opened by him was a specimen never seen by him. It was a large, green, and glossy leaf with natural holes. To him, it was a “monstrous marvel,” and he coined the term Monstera, from the Latin monstrum, meaning “unnatural” and “marvelous.” He described the plant in his book Familles des plantes, published in 1763. 

 

Frederik Michael Liebnamm, a Danish botanist, came across the plant when studying the flora of Mexico. Interestingly, the plant Monstera deliciosa does not commemorate his name, but intriguingly, a species of snake endemic to Mexico, Chersodromus liebmanni, is named after him. So, how did Monstera get the name ‘deliciosa ’? In the tropics, the plant produces a delicious fruit that is between a pineapple and a banana in flavor; however, it is toxic when unripe.  


It seems unfair that Michael Adanson did not get the plant named after him. Well, not immediately. An Austrian botanist called Heinrich Schott specialized in tropical plants and those of the Araceae family came across the Monstera plant. Recognizing the work done by Adanson, Schott honoured the latter by calling it Monstera adansonii.  


So, are Monstera deliciosa and Monstera adansonii the same plant? No, they are members of the same botanical family but are different species.


SOME INTERESTING ASPECTS OF THE MONSTERA 


Both species are fast-growing epiphytic vines that need the support of a tree to grow. They give adventitious roots that grip the supporting host as they climb to the top of the canopy. Monstera plants can grow in a container as well as in the garden. Variegated varieties are now available.  


Why do the leaves of the Monstera have fenestrae? A reason may be to allow sunlight to reach the lower leaves or allow passage of a strong breeze without damage to the plant. 


Monstera does well outdoors, but the harsh Indian sun burns its leaves. It thrives as an indoor plant. Neither is it comfortable in the North Indian winter. Temperatures below 10 °C and cold wintry winds kill it. It loves the rain and comes into its own during the monsoon in India.  


The Monstera plant remains unique and adds a tropical flavor to any garden!  


1. bibidigital.rjb.csic.es : Description des Plantes L’Amerique avec leurs figures/ Par le RP 

Charles Plumier, Religieux Minime, 1693.

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