In the name of the bee--
And of the butterfly--
And of the breeze--Amen Emily Dickinson
Dec. 10, 1830--May 15, 1886
Plants have within their beings more intelligence than we will ever know. Even the Over Knowers who think they know every thing, all the facts and information, will not ever really touch the Soul of the earth and its living creatures. The Over Knowers are essentially those lacking in sensitivity and intuition because their intellectual egos have dominated their personalities. They have lost touch with the Sophia or Soul of the earth. They are Artiste manques. They often rise to the level of scientist, dean, professor, religious fanatic or simply plain know it all.
Plants have so many magical properties or characteristics. We all know that their roots go down into the earth; geotropism or gravitropism. And then, there is phototropism: they grow towards the light. Also, they have a sense of touch at which every child wonders when he or she touches a sensitive plant. They can cast about their lovely, sinuous tendrils like a vortex of fingers and arms, grasping for a purchase to hold onto whatever is out there, kind of like a primordial consciousness that has evolved in us as a mind.
Plants have a characateristic named Thermogenisis. They can create heat. The mitochondria in their cells create heat much as the mitochondria in mammals do; much as our cellular activitiy does. As I was reading about Philodendrons, I came upon the thermogenic properties of the calyxes of these plants. The calyxes, sheathes, (calyx means in Latin large, flat blade) that hold the pointed column of tiny flowers are capable of producing temperatures up to 45degrees F even when the surrouding air is much colder. I see these sheath calyxes as chalices, or even as grails. They contain a pencil thick column of many tiny flowers and seeds. "Chalice" and "calyx" both share he same Indo-European root.You have seen the spathes or sheathes of Jack-in-the-Pulpits, I am sure. From childhood I afirmed their magical image, and they are magical. They are thaumaturgical--they work magic just as painters and all artists work magic when they to create beauty. Creating beauty that people recognize as such is no easy job: that is why there are so many talkers and very few true doers. Or, as Gulley Jimpson in Joyce Cary's novel, "The Horse's Mouth" calls the critics, the Crickets! They are always with us and chirping, endlessly.
I always wondered why the snow melted in rings around Skunk Cabbages in the spring back east. Thermogenisis. The plants and their spathes warm up enough to encourage their seeds to sprout early in the non snow covered circles of earth surrounding the Skunk Cabbages. I always wondered why the earth circle around each plant happened. The plant actually melts the snow. The warmth from the thermogenic spathe also encourages insects to come and get warmed up, thus making for good pollination.
Philo-dendron means love-tree. The commonest one is the ubiquitous P. scandens, a beautiful climbing plant seen everywhere in the world as a house plant,well almost everywhere. My favorite philodendron is the closely related Monstera deliciosa that scrambles up outside, the warm side and top of my piccolo greenhouse. It has large leaves shot through with Swiss cheese-like holes, and it produces a delicious fruit from it spathe, thus its name. Another favorite is P. Selloum or P. bipinnatifidum, hope I have the spelling right. No matter--you know it when you see it here in Southern California. It has huge 16-18 inche leaves and vine-trunks that are 5-6 inches thick embossed with leaf scars that uncannily take the image of eyes; they are wactching us! You will see this plant almost everywhere here as home owners popped it in to get tropical, exotic growth fast. Then, after it grows too big, they so carelessly, mercilously chop it out with a hatchet--aha, more cuttings to make plants for me and my friends! Finally, one more. Philodendron xanadu, a shrubby, low growing plant with leaves like oak leaves, popped in at shopping centers. It takes cold rather well. There are some beautiful specimens in front of Staples at the Plaza of the Four Flags in Solana Beach.
Philodendrons belong to the Aracea family of about 900 species. These plants are what are loosely called Aroids, having come mostly from the tropics. They have fleshy, thick roots, grow well in rich fibrous, acid earth, and like lots of water at the roots and on the leaves. I take my houseplant aroids outside a couple of times a year to leach out the soil and cleanse the stomata (pores) of the leaves with extravagant quantities of water. I have no patience with purist water conservative people who adore shrivelled up looking plants that look itch provoking. It doesn't take that much water to have a nice garden; cut out the swimming pools, eh? However, aroids are very comforting and attractive indoors, especially in the winter. As I write at this moment, I and my desk are surrounded by Diefenbachias, Philodendrons, Sanseverias, Stromanthes, and a friendly Money Tree. One container ship sailor told me that the first job every morning was to look after and water the plants. I can't conceive of a sentence or a line of poetry (if am so fortunate) without plants around me in my life, both outdoor and indoor.
One final comment--all Philodendrons are poisonous, and could cause a threat to children and pets, although I have never heard of a poisoning incident. They contain calcium oxalate which is made up of sharp needle crystals that are poisonous, attacking the vocal chords and causing voice loss, which is very painful and lasts a long time. That is why the aroid Diefenbachia is commonly called dumbcane. Milk may help alleviate the pain for humans, including some Over Knowers.
