Monstera 'Unniiae'
Accepted:
No
Established:
No
Nomenclatural Notes:
Published in:
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Released Year:
Unknown
Propagated:
Yes
Cultivar Type:
Sport
Originator:
Camilla Holm
Namer:
Camilla Holm
Seed Parent:
Pollen Parent:
Base Species or Cultivar:
Monstera Deliciosa
Cultivar Origin:
I found this plant as a seedling in my local garden centre. It was planted in a pot with maybe three other monstera deliciosas - all completely normal except this one. The leaves had structured and striped undersides and one leaf even had a lip/wing on the underside. As it grew larger the stripes took over the undersides and on the mature leaves typically all the underside is dark and structured. (Picture under ‘fruits’)
Name Origin:
Unni is the name of my youngest daughter. It comes from the name of one of the nine daughters of the seagod Ægir and seagoddess Ran in Nordic mythology and means small wave, new/young or loved. Except the fact that I’d love to have my daughter naming the plant as a legacy to her I also think the sea-theme suits this plant’s typical traits. Both the leaves and the propagations when they start to grow have a strong resemblance to seaweed moving in the waves of the ocean.
The ending -iae is, as you probably know, the Latin female ending of “her plant”. I did have someone tell me I cannot use this for a cultivar but since I have no other name now at least I wanted to start this process with you and maybe get some advice on what is an ok name to give a potential cultivar.
(As a comment to the next question in this form - no, I haven’t released it to the public yet. It’s been in my care since I found it as a seedling in April 2021. I have done propagations on it and at the moment I’m offering one up for auction, so really soon it will be “released to the public” too.)
Growth Habit:
Stem and petioles are pretty much the same as a normal monstera deliciosa large form. The internodal spacing is semi short (I’m growing mine indoors without growtent but with extra light, and I think with better growth conditions it would probably size up faster and maybe have shorter internodal spacing).
When propagated the plant send off multiple offshoots from each auxiliary bud and some nodes even have more than one auxiliary bud showing on the stem. (Picture under ‘bloom’)
Leaf Blade:
Juvenile leaves usually have a sharp arrow-shape with ruffled edges and a concave form. Undersides are either completely dark and structured or semi dark and structured with patches of “normal” deliciosa undersides.
Mature leaves often present deep fenestrations, ruffled edges and a concave form. Undersides are as dark as the upper sides of the leaves and has a webbed like veiny structure. I’ve had no secondary fenestration yet on the plant.
Leaves usually reaches up to present both upper and underside to the light.
Bloom and Fruit:
Unknown.
Distinguishing Characteristics:
The leaf shape, structure and how they reach up to the light in a way I haven’t seen any other deliciosa do.
The structure of the leaves also makes them firmer and appear thicker than a regular deliciosa.
The way the auxiliary buds sends out offshoots is also something I’ve never seen appear naturally in a deliciosa before. I’ve used no chemicals or hormones at all to make them grow like this. All of the propagations grew 2-4 new plants per one node cutting, and all of them seems stable and true to their mothers characteristics. Note that I took my cuttings in March -22 so most of them have not started to get fenestrations yet - but some have.
