Monstera deliciosa
Liebm. · speciesAt a glance
Sources14 archives
Databases and archives Monstera deliciosa's data was compiled from.
WikipediaWikimedia Foundation17 languages↗
BioWikiNetmultilingual Wikipediamultilingual↗
GBIFGlobal Biodiversity Information Facility5 219 records↗
OBISOcean Biodiversity Information System4 records↗
ENAEuropean Nucleotide Archive · EMBL-EBI13 eDNA detections↗
BOLD SystemsCentre for Biodiversity Genomics17 specimens↗
NCBIUS National Library of Medicinesequences↗
LOTUSNatural Products (Wikidata)compounds↗
GRIN TaxonomyUSDA-ARSdistribution & uses↗
Open Tree of LifeOpenTreephylogeny backbone↗
CCDBChromosome Counts DB · Tel Aviv U.genome & karyotype↗
GoaTGenomes on a Tree · Sangergenome & karyotype↗
PloiDBPloidy Databasegenome & karyotype
GLoBIGlobal Biotic Interactionsbiotic interactions↗Every layer below draws on the sources above — open one to explore it, or use ← → to move between tabs.
Monstera deliciosa, the Swiss cheese plant or split-leaf philodendron is a species of flowering plant native to tropical forests of southern Mexico, south to Panama. It has been introduced to many tropical areas, and has become a mildly invasive species in Hawaii, Seychelles, Ascension Island and the Society Islands. It is very widely grown in temperate zones as a houseplant. The common name "Swiss cheese plant" is also used for the related species from the same genus, Monstera adansonii. The common name "split-leaf philodendron" is also used for the species Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum, although neither species are in the genus Philodendron.
No narrative description available for this taxon yet.
Size & morphology3
Life cycle & reproduction5
Diet & foraging1
Habitat & environment9
Physiology & chemistry2
Compounds documented for Monstera deliciosa across natural-product and food-composition databases — not just the ~150 nutrients on a classic label ("nutritional dark matter").
Compound class profile1 class
Documented compounds2 total
| Compound | Class | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dopamine | present | LOTUS | |
| Tyramine | present | LOTUS |
A DNA barcode is a short, standardised stretch of genes that works like a fingerprint — enough to tell one species from another. Below is the molecular trace Monstera deliciosa has left across the world's sequence archives.
At a glance
★ the standard DNA barcode for this group — the short region actually read to tell this species apart. The rest are extra genes sequenced along the way.
The complete instruction manual Monstera deliciosa carries — its genome. We read it from three angles — how big it is, how the DNA is packed into chromosomes, and how completely it has been sequenced — and explain how to read each value as you go.
Genome sizehow big the whole instruction manual is
Measured in base pairs (bp) — the individual letters of DNA (human ≈ 3.2 Gb, a bacterium a few million). The chart places this genome on a logarithmic scale — each step to the right is ten times bigger — among reference organisms. Across species a bigger genome loosely tracks with larger cells, slower growth and lower-energy lifestyles (powered flight favours small genomes) — yet it does not imply more genes or a more advanced organism (the long-standing C-value paradox).
Chromosomes & ploidyhow the DNA is packaged
2n is the full chromosome count in a normal body cell; n is a gamete (egg or sperm), which carries half. Ploidy is how many complete chromosome sets each cell holds — 2× (diploid) is typical for animals, while higher levels (polyploidy) are common in plants. Click any value below to see the underlying records and sources.
2n 606×CCDB · ipcn-api-dl · CCDB · book-ipcn66 · CCDB · book-indian_vol2 +1
2n 245×CCDB · book-indian_vol2 · CCDB · book-fedorov · CCDB · book-atlas-flowering-plants
2n 564×CCDB · ipcn-api-dl · CCDB · book-indian_vol2 · CCDB · book-fedorov +1
2n 503×GoaT · Kew Plant DNA C-values Database · CCDB · kew
2n 702×CCDB · book-ipcn67-71 · CCDB · book-indian_vol2
2n 581×CCDB · ipcn-api-dl
polyploid inferred1×PloiDB · family-scale
Record type5 223 records
Origin
Range
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
Museum / Voucheredphysical evidence
Backed by a physical specimen — a herbarium sheet, sample or voucher held in a collection. “Vouchered” means supported by material evidence, not just an observation.
Cultivated / Captivenot free-living
A living individual in a botanical garden, zoo or nursery — cultivated or kept, not free-living.
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
Holding institutions64 of 124 geolocated
Institutions and collections holding physical, vouchered specimens of this species — click a row to fly to it on the map.
| Institution | Specimens |
|---|---|
| Saint Louis, US | 55 |
| National Biodiversity Institute, Costa Ricalocation not on record | 50 |
| Durango, MX | 36 |
| Mexico City, MX | 34 |
| Museo Nacional de Costa Rica (MNCR)location not on record | 23 |
| Auckland, NZ | 17 |
| Universidad de Caldas (UCaldas)location not on record | 16 |
| Bronx, US | 11 |
| Chapingo, MX | 11 |
| Durban, ZA | 11 |
| Fundación Jardín Botánico Joaquín Antonio Uribe de Medellín (JBM)location not on record | 10 |
| Mount Annan, AU | 9 |
| Tuxtla Gutiérrez, MX | 9 |
| Brisbane, AU | 8 |
| XALlocation not on record | 7 |
| San José, CR | 7 |
| University of Stellenboschlocation not on record | 7 |
| South Kensington, GB | 6 |
| Canberra, AU | 6 |
| San Francisco, US | 6 |
| Kew, GB | 6 |
| CASlocation not on record | 6 |
| Campo Mourão, BR | 6 |
| Mexico City, MX | 6 |
| Millersville, US | 5 |
| Austin, US | 5 |
| Ciudad de México, MX | 5 |
| Corporación Autónoma Regional Para la Defensa de la Meseta de Bucaramanga (CDMB)location not on record | 5 |
| Wellington, NZ | 5 |
| Centro de Estudios y Colecciones Biológicas para la Conservaciónlocation not on record | 4 |
| Blumenau, BR | 4 |
| Mexico City, MX | 4 |
| Chicago, US | 4 |
| Universidad de Antioquia (UdeA)location not on record | 4 |
| Puerto Ayora, EC | 4 |
| Austin, US | 4 |
| Tampa, US | 4 |
| Chongqing Museumlocation not on record | 4 |
| Montecillo, Texcoco, MX | 4 |
| Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabascolocation not on record | 4 |
| Mérida, MX | 4 |
| Berlin, DE | 3 |
| Fort Worth, US | 3 |
| Tuxtla Gutiérrez, MX | 3 |
| UTFPR-CPlocation not on record | 3 |
| arosemena tola, EC | 3 |
| OTSlocation not on record | 3 |
| JBRJlocation not on record | 3 |
| Miami, US | 3 |
| Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL)location not on record | 3 |
| Ischia Marine Centrelocation not on record | 3 |
| Cornell Universitylocation not on record | 2 |
| Lake Charles, US | 2 |
| Museo Entomologico de Leonlocation not on record | 2 |
| Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Nortelocation not on record | 2 |
| Universidad de Nariño (UdeNar)location not on record | 2 |
| Armidale, AU | 2 |
| Instituto para la Investigación y la Preservación del Patrimonio Cultural y Natural del Valle del Cauca - INCIVAlocation not on record | 2 |
| Maringá, BR | 2 |
| Station d'Ecologie de Lamtolocation not on record | 2 |
| Foz do Iguaçu, BR | 2 |
| Ann Arbor, US | 2 |
| Ilhéus, BR | 2 |
| San Jose State University, Museum of Birds and Mammalslocation not on record | 2 |
| Tapachula, MX | 2 |
| MEXUlocation not on record | 2 |
| Philadelphia, US | 2 |
| Université de Bordeauxlocation not on record | 2 |
| Christchurch, NZ | 2 |
| Pondicherry, IN | 2 |
| Tlalnepantla, MX | 2 |
| HEMlocation not on record | 2 |
| Honolulu, US | 2 |
| Centro Cultural Santo Domingolocation not on record | 1 |
| Madison, US | 1 |
| Universidad Autónoma de Nayaritlocation not on record | 1 |
| East Lansing, US | 1 |
| Alcaldía Municipal de Garzón en Huilalocation not on record | 1 |
| Ciudad de México, MX | 1 |
| Canadian Department of Agriculturelocation not on record | 1 |
| QAPlocation not on record | 1 |
| Loja, EC | 1 |
| Rotorua, NZ | 1 |
| UnBlocation not on record | 1 |
| Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PUJ)location not on record | 1 |
| MO, XALlocation not on record | 1 |
| Departamento de Sistematica e Ecologialocation not on record | 1 |
| CHAPA, MOlocation not on record | 1 |
| Riverside, US | 1 |
| Pretoria, ZA | 1 |
| Frankfurt am Main | 1 |
| Glocation not on record | 1 |
| US | 1 |
| Nishihara, JP | 1 |
| Provincial Museum of Albertalocation not on record | 1 |
| CHAPAlocation not on record | 1 |
| UTFPR-DVlocation not on record | 1 |
| Sociedad para el Estudio de los Recursos Bióticos de Oaxaca, A. C.location not on record | 1 |
| Santa Barbara, US | 1 |
| Institut fur Allgemeine Mikrobiologielocation not on record | 1 |
| Brasília, BR | 1 |
| Antiguo Cuscatlán, SV | 1 |
| Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeirolocation not on record | 1 |
| UFMGlocation not on record | 1 |
| BISHlocation not on record | 1 |
| Istituto Agrario Castelnuovolocation not on record | 1 |
| UEMlocation not on record | 1 |
| Alexandria Universitylocation not on record | 1 |
| US | 1 |
| Québec, CA | 1 |
| UTPLlocation not on record | 1 |
| BMlocation not on record | 1 |
| ENCB, XALlocation not on record | 1 |
| BH, MEXU, MOlocation not on record | 1 |
| BR, XALlocation not on record | 1 |
| MEXU, MO, TEX, XALlocation not on record | 1 |
| Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paranálocation not on record | 1 |
| Embrapa Agrobiology Diazothrophic Microbial Culture Collectionlocation not on record | 1 |
| Durham, US | 1 |
| Toluca, MX | 1 |
| Podgorica, ME | 1 |
| UNESP-RClocation not on record | 1 |
| Gump Stationlocation not on record | 1 |
| Corporación Universitaria Santa Rosa de Cabal (UNISARC)location not on record | 1 |
Cultivated / Captivenot free-living
A living individual in a botanical garden, zoo or nursery — cultivated or kept, not free-living.
Where the DNA of Monstera deliciosa was picked up in samples of water, soil or air — nobody saw the organism, only its DNA left behind. A trace is a clue that the species was near, not a confirmed sighting.
Signal
Where its DNA was found
How strong is each trace?
Modelled climatemodelled
How to read this: each dot is one detection of this species' DNA in an environmental sample. The confidence meter weighs how many independent studies and places back up the signal — one detection in one study is a hint; many across several studies is solid. Records dated before 2008 (when eDNA methods began) are treated as likely mislabeled and left off the map.