Sauromatum is a genus of tuberous perennials from the Araceae family. In their natural habitat, 6 plant species grow in the mountainous regions of tropical Africa and subtropical Asia.
Translated from Greek “saura” means lizard, dinosaur, due to the unusual color of the flower.
Of the most commonly grown species, Sauromatum venosum or Voodoo Lily is popular among gardeners. The miracle plant has impressive flowers and leaves and is very low maintenance.
Sauromatum: description and characteristics
Sauromatum: photo
The sauromatum flower belongs to the Araceae family. It owes its origin to the tropical regions of Asia. The genus Sauromatum includes 6 varieties of tropical perennial plants that have underground tubers, the diameter of which can reach up to 15 cm. The foliage is complex, located on long petioles, the length of which can reach up to 90 cm, basal, each leaf contains up to 11 segments. The leaf blade is green, lanceolate, up to 30 cm long. Often, even before the leaves appear, plants begin to throw out inflorescences-cobs, which are surrounded by large - no more than 50 cm in height, a blanket that has a dark burgundy color and white specks . The plant is distinguished by spectacular flowering, but, unfortunately, the flowers have a very unpleasant smell, which resembles the smell of carrion, which is an attractive element for pollinators such as flies. The height of a sauromatum flower can reach up to 60 cm.
Description
Characteristics of an exotic flower
Sauromatum (Sauromatum) from the Araceae family is a herbaceous plant with tuberous roots. All 6 varieties can be found in India, Nepal, Burma and the Himalayas. For some time now they have been growing in Africa. The flower grows 2 km above sea level, in humid forests and massifs.
The heart-shaped leaf blade is cut into several parts, with the middle one being larger than the rest. It grows up to 35 cm in length and up to 10 cm in width.
The sauromatum flower is presented in the form of a spadix, reaching approximately 35 cm in length. It is wrapped in an additional petal, the height of which is almost 60 cm. It is colored, depending on the variety, with speckles of brown and green. Sauromatum flowers have a very unpleasant smell, and the intensity of the smell increases with temperature.
Interesting! If you touch the bud, it becomes very hot, which provokes the spread of a foul odor. The difference in temperature during such actions can be up to 25 degrees.
Flowering begins in spring. The inflorescence consists of several flowers. All of them are unisexual and without perianths. At the top of the inflorescence there is an appendage, 1 cm thick. When flowering is completed, fruits are formed, placed in a ball-shaped box. The plant is pollinated by insects of the same group, so it does not bear fruit in the greenhouse. Inside the berries there is a red seed, and they themselves are fleshy and not large.
Varieties of sauromatum
Only 6 varieties of this plant are found in nature, 2 of them can be seen in artificial conditions and as a houseplant.
Sauromatum spotted or drip (guttatum). It has a dark green leaf on a long petiole, dissected and covered with an olive-colored blanket. The leaves have purple or burgundy spots. The inflorescence itself is also purple and blooms in late spring. The cob is approximately 35 cm long, loosely wrapped in a red-green blanket. The base of sauromatum is a tuber about 15 cm in diameter.
Sauromatum veinata is a plant with dissected leaves on thick petioles, each part is elongated, broadly lanceolate in shape. The leaf blades are attached to the petiole in a circle. All spots are visible only at the base and on the petioles. When flowering begins in the spring, the opening of the flower is accompanied by a soft cracking sound. The blanket, in the form of a tube, covers the base to a height of 10 cm. Flowering lasts up to 30 days, accompanied by a very strong and unpleasant aroma, which in turn is attractive to flies.
Important! The Voodoo lily is a poisonous flower, so it should be kept away from animals and children at home. All procedures such as pruning and replanting are carried out exclusively with gloves. After this, the protective equipment is carefully removed and disposed of, and hands are thoroughly washed with soap. Often contact with plant juice causes thinning of the mucous membranes and skin, so allergy sufferers need to handle the flower with care.
Sauromatum: growing and gardening
Temperature conditions. When the sauromatum flower plant is in its growth period, it needs room temperature - +18 +24 degrees. In winter, containers with tubers are best stored in a cool room, with a temperature of +8 +10 degrees.
Lighting mode. Sauromatum in the garden needs good lighting, but in the daytime it will be necessary to create shade from direct sunlight. The sauromatum flower, being in a dormant period, begins to shed its leaves, so then there is no much difference in what the lighting will be like.
We are preparing the substrate. The plant is unpretentious in care and can well tolerate the fact that it will be treated with a little disdain, rather than surrounded with excessive attention. At the same time, Sauromatum can only be conditionally called a houseplant. During the winter, the plant's tubers will need to be dug out of the ground and stored in a cool, dry place before new growth begins. The plant will need well-drained soil, which will include humus, sand and peat.
We apply fertilizers. When Sauromatum veinata begins to grow again, it will be necessary to apply complex fertilizers specifically for the flowering plant. Fertilizing is carried out 2 times a month, and the dose indicated in the instructions will need to be divided in half. The plant tolerates the application of organic fertilizers well. When the plant is in a dormant period, there is no need to apply fertilizer. The plant is most often used as a forcing plant.
Flowering period. The specific flowering time will directly depend on the conditions in which the plant is kept and the time when the tubers were planted.
Air humidity level. Veined sauromatum tolerates dry indoor air well. However, during the growing season it is best to place the container with the plant in a tray, into which you will need to add wet pebbles.
Soil moisture level. The plant should be watered only when the peduncle appears. During the development period, watering should be plentiful, but watering should only be done when the top layer of soil dries out. If you notice that the leaves begin to fade, then watering should be reduced. In winter, the plant should be in almost dry soil.
We are doing a transplant. Every year the tubers need to be planted in fresh soil. transplantation is carried out at the end of the winter period.
Growing Tips
Sauromatum spends most of its life in a dormant state, accumulating nutrients in a large tuber that are used by the plant during the period of active growth. The growing season in our climate begins in mid-spring. If the tuber is large enough, the showy leaves and flowers will be large and strong. The plant can reach 60 cm in height.
The impressively sized flowers with a large veil closed at the bottom are spotted, purple, pale yellow, red, purple and even black. Ground leaves begin to develop after flowering, which occurs in late spring.
Despite the disgusting putrid aroma that attracts insects for pollination, Sauromatum is very popular in garden design due to its exotic appearance and unpretentiousness.
When pollinated successfully, the lily produces a cluster of bright red or purple single-seeded fruits that look like a huge berry.
Types of sauromatum
There are 6 species of sauromatum recorded in nature, but only a couple of them can be found in culture. The most popular is sauromatum drip or guttatum . Its dissected, long-petioled leaves are dark green and covered with an olive blanket. There are burgundy or purple round spots on the surface of the leaves. The spadix-shaped inflorescence is purple. It blooms in May. The length of the cob is about 35 cm. A spacious red-green blanket is located around it. At the base there is a large, angular tuber with a diameter of up to 15 cm.
Sauromatum drip or guttatum
Sauromatum veined. The plant has thick, long petioles with dissected, broadly lanceolate leaves. The leaf blades are attached in a semicircle to the curved part of the petiole; they are lighter in color. The spots are clearly visible only on the petioles and at the base of the leaves. The flower opens in spring with a slight pop. The tube of the spathe completely hides its base to a height of 5-10 cm. Flowering lasts about a month and is accompanied by an intense aroma that attracts flies.
Sauromatum veined
Voodoo Lily: Queen of the Underworld
Sauromatum venosum
Among all the bulbous and tuberous plants, only the Voodoo lily can rightfully be considered the real queen of the underworld, because it is a summer-flowering plant with truly intriguing properties! Will you be one of the brave souls who will plant a voodoo lily this spring? If you decide to be such a daredevil, then here is our useful advice: buy some clothespins too! For what? Now we'll tell you!
The botanical name of this unusual plant is veined sauromatum (syn. drip sauromatum, s. spotted, s. speckled), in Latin - Sauromatum venosum.
The Voodoo lily begins to grow in May and produces a flower consisting of a dark brown spadix and a vertical spathe. The combination of greenish-white and reddish-brown spots gives the bedspread a very unusual appearance. Once the cob reaches its maximum height, the spathe begins to curl. It is at this time that the plant uses its “secret weapon”. To protect yourself from its "aromatic effects", use your own weapon - a clothespin!
The temperature in the lower part of the flower rises - sometimes it becomes even higher than the ambient temperature. At the same time, a strong and very unpleasant odor appears, which attracts insects to pollinate the flowers. Unfortunately, only flies like the scent of the Voodoo lily. After flowering, the terrible smell disappears and the plant forms a green leaf. Like the spathe, the petioles have spots, and the leaf itself is bright green.
The tuber of this plant can grow and bloom even without being planted in the soil, as if some African sorcerer had actually cast a magic spell on it to bring it to life. It is not surprising that this flower is called the Voodoo lily. This plant is native to the tropics of Africa (from Sudan to Malawi and Zambia), but it also grows in the Arabian Peninsula and India. In 1815, the Voodoo lily was brought to Europe as an exotic plant, thanks to which we too can contemplate it now, albeit first armed with a clothespin.
Often, the owners of this exotic plant plant the tuber in the garden after flowering. An unpleasant smell no longer threatens, but in the garden this lily develops a very exotic palmate leaf on a straight, high petiole, which also looks very impressive.
In autumn the leaf dies, the tuber is dug out of the ground and stored in a dry room at a temperature of +8+12°C. In January it is planted and placed indoors so that it can bloom.
Be careful: all parts of the plant are poisonous!
Based on materials from iBulb
Photo iBulb
Care Tips
The voodoo lily prefers nutrient-rich and permeable soils. Regular application of organic fertilizers ensures the growth of the tuber and, therefore, increases the likelihood of beautiful flowering next year. Choose a slightly shaded place. In full shade, the stems become very elongated, weak and thin. Sauromatum requires regular watering during the period of active growth.
Exotic bloom of sauromatum
Sauromatum is a speckled representative of the Araceae family. It is most widespread in natural growing conditions in the humid tropics of East Asia.
The appearance of a flower stalk on cold winter days is simply a miracle. After all, without any moisture or soil, in any container where the lizard’s tuber is located, a powerful peduncle pecks, which grows so dynamically that within a few hours it reaches a height of half a meter. At first it looks like a calla flower, then it grows, swells and bursts in the center. And soon a “sail” of dark cherry-colored sauromatum will appear before your eyes, strewn with greenish-yellow spots, similar to the color of a lizard or snake. A fully formed peduncle is usually more than 1 m in height and about 10 cm in diameter. He does not need supports or ties. If you place it in a cool place, the flowering of this beauty will last for several weeks. Please note that during the flowering period, speckled Asian produces a very unpleasant odor, which intensifies in a warm room. The flower itself is also unique, as it instantly heats up at the slightest touch. The temperature difference range is 20 degrees. Since speckled sauromatum can only be pollinated by special insects, it does not produce seeds or fruits in our climate, even in greenhouse complexes.
Growing sauromatum
How does sauromatum grow?
It is thanks to the accumulation of useful substances by the tuber in the summer that such unusual flowering occurs. Therefore, speckled sauromatum does not need water or soil. But after the tuber has finished flowering, it needs to be planted in the garden with the bud pointing up. This usually happens in May. Planting depth is 10 cm. The landing site must have drainage and sand.
The green mass will form a few weeks after planting. Later it will turn into huge carved leaves with an unusual design at the base. The arrangement of the leaves of speckled sauromatum is one-sided. When fully opened, they form a circle similar to a wreath and serve as sun umbrellas for other flowers all summer. This plant looks most impressive as the central element of a flower bed. When he rises above everyone.
Conditions for growing sauromatum
The development of speckled sauromatum does not depend on the presence of direct sun and can occur even in the shade. The main thing is soil with moderate moisture. The flower tuber is spherical in shape, somewhat flattened at the poles. It grows to a huge size and can weigh around 10 kg. It is how large the tuber is that determines its age, the size of the peduncle and foliage. The latter can reach a diameter of 2 m.
Sauromatum in autumn and winter
In the autumn, when the leaves have fallen, the tuber is carefully dug up with a pitchfork so as not to damage the children formed over the summer. The new nodules are not small at all and are easily separated from the mother tuber. To store the speckled sauromatum tuber, dry it and remove any remaining soil or wash it off. Wintering takes place in a dry and cool room.
It is believed that sauromatum is not able to wait out the winter in an outdoor flower garden. But there is information that even small baby tubers, which for some reason remained in the ground, begin to grow well in the spring.
Know that when you personally see this exotic in any garden, you will fall in love with it completely and will definitely place it on your site and in your heart.
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Reproduction and transplantation
Sauromatum propagation occurs vegetatively. As it grows, small babies form on the tuber. In autumn, when digging up the plant, young nodules are separated from the main plant. During the season, from 3 to 7 pieces are formed. All winter they are stored in a dry and cool place without soil and only planted in the spring. The children immediately begin to grow, produce leaves and bloom in the first year. They differ from older specimens only in the number of leaves and flower size.
Tubers begin to be planted in the ground in March. For planting, use small wide containers with fertile soil. The pot must be stable so as not to fall under the weight of the massive flower and leaves. You can buy universal garden soil or make it yourself from the following components:
- turf land:
- compost;
- peat;
- leaf soil;
- river sand.
In early spring, a flower shoot begins to appear on the tuber. Until flowering is completed, sauromatum does not need soil. It uses up the tuber’s reserves, so it can be temporarily placed not in the ground, but in a glass flask. Such exoticism will not go unnoticed. Before the leaves form, the tuber must already be in the ground. In mid-May, when the danger of night frosts has disappeared, you can plant the tubers immediately in open ground to a depth of 10-13 cm. Flowers will appear 1-2 months after planting, and after they wither, the leaves will bloom. In the fall, when the leaves wither, the tubers are dug up and stored.
