Alocasia micholitziana

Alocasia micholitziana is best known through its widely-grown selection 'Frydek', but the plain species itself carries the same deep, velvety forest-green arrow-shaped leaves with pale silvery-white veining that made the form famous. It is a compact rosette grower, considerably smaller and more manageable indoors than the giant Alocasia species, and the velvety leaf texture is a genuine surface feature rather than a trick of lighting: closely spaced microscopic ridges scatter light across the blade. The 'Mint Variegated' form adds irregular cream-white sectoring over this same velvety green baseline.

Native range

Philippines (humid tropical understory)

Classification

Genus

Alocasia

Family

Araceae

Type

Wild

Growth habit

Upright rosette, clumping

Morphology

Leaf shape

Arrow-shaped (sagittateArrowhead-shaped leaves, with pointed lobes at the base pointing downwards.), slightly wavy margin

Leaf length

25-40 cm

Leaf width

12-20 cm

Petiole colour

Green, sheathed at base

Venation

Prominent pale silvery-white primary and secondary veins

Texture

Velvety matte

Variegation

N/A: solid deep velvety green blade with contrasting pale veins; the 'MintVariegation featuring a speckled, marbled, or light pastel-green pattern. Variegated' form adds cream-white sectoring over this baseline

Growth habit

Upright clumping rosette