Aphelandra squarrosa
Encyclopedia
Aphelandra squarrosa (commonly but ambiguously called "zebra plant") is a plant species in the family Acanthaceae
, which is native to Atlantic Forest vegetation
of Brazil
. This plant is often used as a house plant. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis
by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius
.
This plant likes lots of light, but not direct. It does not bloom often, but it can be encouraged to bloom by prolonged daily exposure to light. It is also very sensitive to moisture content; too much or too little water will cause the lower leaves to brown and fall off. It likes to be kept moist but not wet. On average needs small amounts of water often rather than a thorough watering once in a while.
The plant flourishes when the temperature is in the range of 18-21°C (65-70°F); and will suffer if the temperature drops below 15°C (60°F) for a prolonged period.
Acanthaceae
The family Acanthaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species....
, which is native to Atlantic Forest vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. This plant is often used as a house plant. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis
Flora Brasiliensis
Flora Brasiliensis is a book published between 1840 and 1906 by the editors Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, August Wilhelm Eichler, Ignatz Urban and many others...
by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius
Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius
Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius was a German botanist and explorer.Martius was born at Erlangen, where he graduated M.D. in 1814, publishing as his thesis a critical catalogue of plants in the botanic garden of the university...
.
Plant Care
The plant flourishes when the temperature is in the range of 18-21°C (65-70°F); and will suffer if the temperature drops below 15°C (60°F) for a prolonged period.