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Philodendron brasiliense Engl.

Araceae · Brazil Southeast · listed by its genus as a tropical foliage plant

English names not checked: Wikidata's common names were not read for this page.

Photographs not checked iNaturalist and GBIF media were skipped (not asked) when this page was built. Not asked, or not answered, is not "none": nothing here claims there is none. Why the site says it this way.
Add one to my plants
Sow seed
Habitat figuresfrom few records
Cold floor (1 night in 100)
5.9°C
Record low -1.3 °C in 44 years, at a typical spot in the range NASA POWER
Warmest month, mean daily high
28°C
Feb at the habitat CHELSA
Rain a year (median across the range)
1,452mm
12 months of 25 mm or more in the median year CHELSA
Open-sky light
23–36DLI
Lowest to highest month (DLI) CHELSA
The year in your months, northern hemisphere
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Wet summers: the rain comes April to September (October to March at the habitat), read as a summer growing season. rain rule, CHELSA
Northern hemisphere unless you set your site. The chart is in the habitat's months.

From few records: 8 records in 8 grid cells. The records.

About the genus · Philodendron

Philodendron is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. As of September 2025, the Plants of the World Online accepted 625 species; other sources accept different numbers. Regardless of number of species, the genus is the second-largest member of the family Araceae, after genus Anthurium. More on Wikipedia ›

Quoted from Wikipedia, "Philodendron", CC BY-SA 4.0.

Cultivation

Grouped as a tropical foliage plant, listed under the genus Philodendron in the archetype table, and Kew describes it as “subshrub”, “seasonally dry tropical”.

Seasons

The rain rule reads a summer growing season: 70% of the median year's rain (1,134 mm of 1,479 mm) falls in October to March, warmer than the year (wet-season mean 22.4 °C against a yearly mean of 20.5 °C). Months are the habitat's, southern hemisphere; shifted six months for a northern-hemisphere collection: April to September.

Rain

1,479 mm in the median year at the habitat, 1,134 mm of it October to March. Wettest month January at 261 mm, driest month August at 34 mm. Across the grid cells of the range the year's total runs 1,428 mm to 1,926 mm, the 10th to 90th percentile of each cell's own year. The median of the cells' own yearly totals, 1,452 mm, is the year's rain at the top of the page; the 1,479 mm here is the median year's, the twelve monthly medians added, which the rain rule reads. Habitat calendar, southern hemisphere; median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA.

Light

Open sky over the habitat: 23 to 36 mol/m²/day across the year (daily light integral, median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA; the lowest 10th-percentile month across the cells is 22, the highest 90th-percentile month 37).

Warmth and air
Temperature

Coldest: the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at a typical spot in the range is 5.9 °C, the absolute minimum -1.3 °C, 2 frost nights in 44 years (NASA POWER daily minima). Warmest: the 99th-percentile day is 35.2 °C. Monthly means: the coldest month's mean nightly low 11.7 °C in July (across the grid cells of the range 9.5 °C to 12.8 °C), the warmest month's mean daily high 27.6 °C in February (median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA). Cold floor: 5.9 °C, which is the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at a typical spot in the range (NASA POWER).

Humidity

Relative humidity at the habitat: 60 to 66% across the year (monthly means, median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA). A figure about the air, saying nothing about how the plant takes water.

How this section is made

Each card states this species' habitat figures with their sources, and what two fixed rules read from them; nothing here says what the plant does, wants or tolerates. The rules · the terms.

Seasons. Read from the median year of CHELSA monthly rainfall and mean temperature across the grid cells of the range: the rain rule takes the smallest set of months carrying 70% of the rain and calls it winter when its mean is more than half a degree below the year's, summer when more than that above, and neither in between; the temperature rule, used only under 120 mm, names the cooler six months when they are at least a degree cooler than the other six. Months are shifted for the other hemisphere only where the temperature curve moves 4 °C or more and the habitat lies 10° or more from the equator. A reading of the curves, not an observation of the plant.

Rain. CHELSA monthly precipitation, median year across the grid cells of the range. The rain that falls where the species is recorded; nothing about how the plant takes water.

Light. CHELSA shortwave radiation at each envelope cell, a daily-mean flux taken to a daily total and converted at 2.07 mol of PAR per MJ. The sky over the habitat, measured; what reaches a plant under a rock, a shrub or a shade cloth is not.

Temperature. NASA POWER daily minima and maxima over 44 years at a typical spot in the range, lapse-corrected +51 m to its elevation; CHELSA monthly means, median year across the grid cells of the range. The cold floor is the 1st-percentile night named in its sentence. Not a measured survival limit for any plant in a pot.

Humidity. CHELSA relative humidity, median year across the grid cells of the range.

Group. Listed under the genus Philodendron in the archetype table, and Kew describes it as “subshrub”, “seasonally dry tropical”. A group is taken only where Kew's description of the species agrees with the table's listing. The table gives no figure and no prose; the cold floor is the habitat's alone.

Climate across the habitat

From few records: this habitat climate is read from 8 records in 8 grid cells; a page says so under 12 records or 5 cells, and shows the figures as read.

Habitat months, southern hemisphere

Habitat climate of Philodendron brasiliense through the yearWarmest month February, mean daily high 28 °C; coldest month July, mean nightly low 11.7 °C; 1,479 mm of rain in the median year (the twelve monthly medians added). Medians across the range, from CHELSA; the extremes at the edge from NASA POWER. Habitat months, southern hemisphere.-10°0°10°20°30°40°frost35.2° 99th-percentile day, NASA POWER-1.3° lowest night in 44 years, NASA POWER°C · day and nightcold quarter0100200300400mm rainDLI 23–36RH 60–66%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
day night rain medians and 10th–90th percentile across 8 habitat cells, CHELSA cold quarter: the three months around the coldest month's mean nightly low extremes over 44 years at a typical spot in the range, from NASA POWER, marked at the edge, in no month DLI, mol/m²/dayRH %each on its own scale
Figures by month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day °C27 / 23–2828 / 23–2927 / 22–2825 / 21–2723 / 19–2422 / 18–2322 / 18–2324 / 19–2525 / 20–2626 / 21–2726 / 21–2726 / 22–28
Night °C19 / 16–2019 / 16–2018 / 16–2017 / 14–1814 / 12–1512 / 10–1312 / 10–1313 / 10–1414 / 12–1616 / 13–1717 / 14–1918 / 15–20
Rain mm261 / 257–332205 / 192–260175 / 163–24381 / 78–12166 / 59–8340 / 32–4943 / 34–5434 / 30–4781 / 76–109128 / 124–164148 / 137–209217 / 198–300
DLI35 / 33–3536 / 34–3632 / 31–3329 / 28–2924 / 23–2523 / 22–2424 / 23–2429 / 28–3030 / 29–3133 / 32–3436 / 35–3735 / 33–36
RH %65 / 63–6964 / 62–6766 / 63–6865 / 62–6764 / 62–6462 / 61–6361 / 60–6260 / 59–6162 / 61–6364 / 62–6664 / 62–6765 / 63–69
How this section is made
Each figure is the median across the 8 grid cells holding the 8 in-range records, with the 10th–90th percentile span across those cells after the slash where it differs. A dash is a month one or more of those cells has no figure for in the grid (a variable CHELSA does not carry there), so no median is taken rather than one over fewer cells. Extremes and elevation were read at a typical spot in the range, cell 2261:2667 (-23.075, -46.625). Over 44 years there: absolute minimum -1.3 °C, 1st-percentile night 5.9 °C, 99th-percentile day 35.2 °C. Normals: CHELSA V2.1 1981–2010 climatology, 0.05° cells (each the mean of ~36 1 km pixels). Across the range: median and 10th–90th percentile of each month across the 8 distinct grid cells holding 8 of the 8 in-range records; extremes and elevation at the typical cell 2261:2667 (its coldest month's mean nightly low nearest the median across cells); its position is the cell centre. Extremes: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell -23.00_-46.875, lapse-corrected +51 m at 6.5 °C/km. Elevation: ETOPO 2022, 806 m (cell mean).

Natural habitat

Native range as published by WCVP; the marker is where the records are densest and decides nothing: the climate was read across the cells of the in-range records placed well enough to read one, not at the marker.
Openly licensed records inside the range, framed on where they fall.

This species has no GBIF key of its own. Its records are GBIF's under the key of the name Kew's World Checklist holds as this plant: 9731469 (Thaumatophyllum brasiliense (Engl.) Sakur., Calazans & Mayo, 44 records). No name was matched to GBIF; the keys are read from Kew's synonymy. How.

NativeBrazil Southeast · regions are the level-3 units of the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, as Kew's World Checklist records ranges, some under historical names such as Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia (how).
Map marker-23.177, -45.951 · in the densest population, 20 records (61% of those in range)
Kew's description“subshrub” · “seasonally dry tropical” · quoted from WCVP, RBG Kew (CC BY 4.0); not derived here
Evidence usedThe map marker rests on all 33 georeferenced records inside the native range; the climate across the range on the 8 of them placed to within 10 km; the map shows only the 26 openly licensed ones, which alone would put the marker 76 km away. 4 records outside the WCVP native range not used. Under a dozen records behind the climate. 25 in-range records are placed to worse than 10 km, or with no stated accuracy (admitted only as a person's observation to three decimals), and stay on the map but off the climate.
Other GBIF keysRecords also from GBIF's key 9731469 (Thaumatophyllum brasiliense (Engl.) Sakur., Calazans & Mayo): Kew's file holds it as Thaumatophyllum brasiliense (Engl.) Sakur., Calazans & Mayo (synonym under Philodendron brasiliense Engl.); 44 records, from GBIF's download.
How this section is made
The map marker: the openly licensed record nearest the middle of the densest 1° population inside the densest 2° block of the 33 in-range records; it decides nothing. Records outside the native range, living specimens and records marked introduced are not used; which records count.

Photographs

Not checked. iNaturalist and GBIF media were skipped (not asked) when this page was built. Not a statement that none exist.

Similar habitat climate The 6 nearest by mean daily high, mean nightly low and rain, month by month. How.

Myrciaria glazioviana Myrciaria glazioviana Myrtaceae Photo: CC0, author not statedCroton floribundus Croton floribundus Euphorbiaceae Photo: CC BY, Gabriel FernandesRhipsalis pilocarpa Rhipsalis pilocarpa Cactaceae Photo: CC BY, Pedro Alvaro NevesRuellia brevifolia Ruellia brevifolia Tropical wild petunia Photo: CC BY, Zoe Anthony QuestedCattleya loddigesii Cattleya loddigesii Loddiges's cattleya Photo: CC BY-SA, Fernando JuniorAristolochia arcuata Aristolochia arcuata Aristolochiaceae Photo: CC BY, Celso Henrique Varela Rios

Other Philodendron 93 in the reference

Philodendron angustisectum Philodendron angustisectum Araceae Photo: CC BY, Daniel MesaPhilodendron anisotomum Philodendron anisotomum Araceae Photo: CC BY-SA, YuPhilodendron appendiculatum Philodendron appendiculatum Araceae Photo: CC BY-SA, UNA EcoturismoPhilodendron atabapoense Philodendron atabapoense Araceae Photo: CC0, author not statedPhilodendron auriculatum Philodendron auriculatum Araceae Photo: CC BY, Fabrício Mil Homens RiellaPhilodendron barrosoanum Philodendron barrosoanum Araceae Photo: CC0, author not statedPhilodendron billietiae Philodendron billietiae Araceae Photo: CC BY, fmunozPhilodendron bipennifolium Philodendron bipennifolium Fiddle-leaf philodendron Photo: CC0, author not statedPhilodendron bipinnatifidum Philodendron bipinnatifidum Araceae Photo: CC BY, Paulo C. O. CunhaPhilodendron brandtianum Philodendron brandtianum Silver Leaf Philodendron Photo: CC BY, Yuri SofronovPhilodendron burle-marxii Philodendron burle-marxii Araceae Photo: CC BY-SA, David J. StangPhilodendron callosum Philodendron callosum Araceae Photo: CC BY, topeuna all 94 ›

Names & registers

Also known as Philodendron cymbispathum; Thaumatophyllum brasiliense. (WCVP, RBG Kew)

IPNIPOWOWikidataWFO

The record

Family
Araceae
Described by
Engl.
Native to
Brazil Southeast
Wild records
33 in range · 26 open

Every figure here is derived from public data by a stated rule and names its source; nothing about this species is written for its page by a person or by AI, apart from the marked, credited quotations. How →

Where this page came from built 2026-10-22
Kew's names (WCVP) kew.names answeredas of 2026-06-04Kew's entry Philodendron brasiliense Engl. (plant_name_id 151452), read from Kew's names file
GBIF species record gbif.species not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
GBIF synonyms gbif.synonyms not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
GBIF common names gbif.vernacular not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
WCVP native range wcvp.distribution answeredas of 2026-06-04
GBIF occurrence records gbif.occurrences answeredas of 2026-10-21this species has no GBIF key of its own; its records are read under GBIF's keys for the names Kew's file holds as this plant, never by a name matched; GBIF occurrence download https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.hbdw64, of 2026-10-21; 44 records of GBIF's key 9731469, Thaumatophyllum brasiliense (Engl.) Sakur., Calazans & Mayo (Kew's file holds it as Thaumatophyllum brasiliense (Engl.) Sakur., Calazans & Mayo (synonym under Philodendron brasiliense Engl.)): the GBIF download; 1 record within 1 km of a botanic garden, herbarium or zoo left out (1 at a herbarium; Wikidata's list)
Habitat climate climate answeredasked 2026-10-22
Daily extremes (NASA POWER) climate.extremes answeredasked 2026-10-22NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell -23.00_-46.875, lapse-corrected +51 m at 6.5 °C/km
Wikidata wikidata answeredasked 2026-10-22found by Kew's IPNI identifier 87668-1, POWO 87668-1
Wikipedia wikipedia nothing to reportasked 2026-10-22
iNaturalist taxon inat.taxon not asked
iNaturalist photographs, wild inat.photos.wild not asked
iNaturalist photographs, cultivated inat.photos.cultivated not asked
GBIF media gbif.media not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
Wikimedia Commons commons nothing to reportasked 2026-10-22
OpenAlex papers openalex not askednot yet asked for this reference; a later fill takes the papers from OpenAlex's snapshot

Every source is recorded as having answered, reported nothing, refused, failed, not been asked, or answered twice where one answer is taken (“not taken: two items answered”), and, for a source asked when this page was built, when: the figures are as the source held them that day; a source read from a file (Kew's World Checklist, a GBIF download) says "as of" the file's day instead; a row carried from an earlier build of the page names that build instead. Only “nothing to report” is ever shown as an absence. Records came from 15 datasets via GBIF.org; each carries its own licence.

Cultifolio

Opening your plants…