Philodendron ruizii Schott has very beautiful, thick elongate oblong leaves with dark maroon undersides. Usually it is epiphytic, sometimes terrestrial or hemiepiphytic. Petioles are subterete, moderately spongy, obtusely flattened and obtusely sulcate adaxially, medium to dark green with short dark green lineations throughout, weakly glossy to matte, densely, dark-dashed with fine lines. Leaf blades arevoblong to narrowly elliptic to oblong-ovate-elliptic, have a smooth margin, coriaceous to subcoriaceous, dark green and semi-glossy above, moderately paler and weakly glossy to matte below.
From the Modern Latin genus name Philodendron (Schott, 1830), from Greek philodendron, neuter of philodendros "loving trees," from philo- "loving" (see philo-) + dendron "tree" (from PIE *der-drew-, from root *deru- "to be firm, solid, steadfast," also forming words for "wood, tree"). The plant so called because it clings to trees.
Philodendron ruizii
Name: Philodendron ruizii Schott
Type: herbaceous evergreen
Form: Scandent chamaephytes
Family: Araceae
Native Range: S. Colombia to Bolivia
Zone: 12-13
Habitat: In Ecuador, this plant is typically found above 1500 m and is found more commonly in Premontane wet forest and Montane wet forest. It is found less frequently in Montane steppe, Montane moist forest, Lower montane moist forest, Tropical moist forest, Lower montane wet forest, Premontane rainforest, and Subalpine wet forest.
Height: to 3m
Spread: 150cm
Sun: Part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Leaf: Evergreen
Tolerate: Semi ShadeTaxon identifiers: PlantList-ID : kew-151912; Tropicos ID : 2103333; IPNI plant ID : 87988-1; NCBI taxonomy ID : 400872; Global Biodiversity Information Facility ID : 2870859; Encyclopedia of Life ID : 1135203 WCSPF ID : 151912; Plants of the World online ID : urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:87988-1; IRMNG ID : 10251117; World Flora Online ID : wfo-0000268965
Synonyms: = Philodendron buchtienii K.Krause = Philodendron cyrtocoleum Diels