Family: Araceae
Scientific name: Cyrtosperma hambalii
Common name: Cyrtosperma
Origin: Papua, Indonesia

The leaves of this rare species have a special shape, resembling rabbit ears. The petioles are also ornamental with a mottled pattern of dark and light colors. The species comes from the southwest of Papua in Indonesia. There the plant grows in the lower layer of the rainforest, where it can reach a height of about 1 meter. The leaves grow to about 30 cm in tropical conditions, but remain somewhat smaller when grown as a houseplant. When mature, the plant may also flower. The inflorescence has a dark brown bract and this can grow quite long at 50 cm. It sticks out straight above the plant, making it easily accessible to insects for pollination. The plant has an underground rhizome, with which new shoots can be formed. 

Provide a bright spot without direct sunlight and a well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. You can water the plant as soon as the soil is dry. In addition, the plant likes a high humidity (>70%) and relatively high temperature ( 25-30 deg C). If the humidity is difficult to achieve, you can spray the leaves with water regularly. 

The offered seeds come from cultivated plants. 

Sowing description: the already germinated seed can further develop in Spaghnum moss. After the formation of the first leaves, it can be repotted in an airy soil mixture with e.g. Spaghnum, peat, coconut fiber and/or other organic material.  

Sowing period: Whole year
Difficulty: Intermediate
Minimum temperature: 15 degrees Celsius