This is a form of the species that was first offered by Jerry Horne quite some years ago. Apparently one of the true examples of this species and probably originally from the Philippines. The caudex is smooth, rather flattened with deep grooves and raised ridges. Hydnophytum is a bizarre, epiphytic, caudiciform plant native to New Guinea and the Indo-Pacific including northern Australia. It belongs to the family Rubiaceae that includes coffee. It has a globular caudex with some bumps but mainly smooth, glossy, skin and many tiny openings that lead to a labyrinth of interior chambers. The leaves are curled, thick and leathery with a smooth surface, borne on a full crown of small limbs that also bear fleshy fruits. In nature it maintains a symbiotic relationship with ants that make a home in its interior chambers, in exchange for providing food and protection to the plant. In cultivation, no native ant species are attracted to it. Can be grown potted in loose, well-drained media, or mounted in the fashion of a Platycerium fern, using a thin layer of sphagnum moss. Needs frequent watering, but will not tolerate being constantly wet.
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