Syngonium rayi Grayum

Silver Ray Syngonium, Syngonium rayii

Easy careSemi-epiphyteModerately toxic15–40 cm

Syngonium rayi is a hemiepiphytic climbing vine from the humid forests of Costa Rica and Panama, where it scrambles up tree trunks in deeply shaded understory conditions. The leaves are distinctively velvety to the touch — dark green to near-black — with a striking white or silver central vein that runs the length of each leaf and fades gradually as the plant matures; this contrast makes it one of the more visually distinctive small Syngonium species. In a vivarium or closed terrarium it travels on stolons and is easy to prune back; it can be grown terrestrially on the substrate or encouraged to climb a cork or bark background. It does best in warm, humid conditions (18–29 °C, high humidity) with shade to dappled light, replicating the forest floor it naturally inhabits.

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Care

Light

Shade tolerant(preferred)Indirect light

Humidity

High (60–80%)(preferred)Medium (40–60%)

Temperature

10°C25°C40°C
18°C – 29°C

Soil

Well draining(preferred)Loamy

Moisture

Moist(preferred)

Appearance

Growth habit

ClimbingCreeping

Leaf shape

Lance

Leaf texture

Velvety

Distribution

Propagation

Take a 10–15 cm stem cutting with at least one node, remove the lower leaves, and place in moist sphagnum moss or water. Roots develop in approximately 3–4 weeks at warm temperatures. Keep cuttings in a warm, humid environment during rooting.

References

  1. 1

    POWO (Kew) — Syngonium rayi Grayum (accepted name, note: trade spelling 'rayii' is incorrect; first published Phytologia 82: 53 (1997); family Araceae; climbing habit; wet tropical biome; native range: Costa Rica and Panama)

    https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:315168-2
  2. 2

    Glass Box Tropicals — Syngonium rayii (care rating 3/10; warm growing; medium-to-high moisture; terrestrial growth habit in terrarium; leaf 3–5" × 2–4" immature; dark green to almost black with white central vein; arrowhead-shaped immature, trilobed mature; easy to grow terrarium plant; tends to ramble around tank and is easily pruned)

    https://glassboxtropicals.com/syngonium-rayii/
  3. 3

    Gardening Brain — Syngonium Rayii: A Dual Life Plant (temperature 7–35 °C / 45–95 °F; high humidity, misting recommended; shade to partial sun, avoid direct sun; well-drained substrate; allow soil to dry 70% before watering; water 2–3× weekly in summer, 1× in winter; height ~15 inches; leaf 5–7 inches long, 3–5 inches wide; velvety texture; dark green/blackish-green with white/silver centerline fading with maturity; fast-growing hemiepiphyte via stolons; mildly toxic to humans, harmful to cats and dogs — causes mouth ulceration, vomiting, diarrhoea; stem cuttings or stolons, roots in 3–4 weeks)

    https://gardeningbrain.com/syngonium-rayii/
  4. 4

    ASPCA — Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Arrow-Head Vine (Syngonium podophyllum listed as toxic to cats, dogs, and horses; toxic principle: insoluble calcium oxalates; clinical signs: oral irritation, pain and swelling of mouth/tongue/lips, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing; genus-level toxicity applies to Syngonium rayi)

    https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/arrow-head-vine