Once it has reached a sufficient size and age, it will begin producing aerial roots that grow toward the forest floor.

After a tree has been found, the scototropic behavior stops and the philodendron switches to a phototropic growth habit and the internodes shorten and thicken.

A few species show three peaks in temperature during flowering, which stimulates beetles within the spathe and increasing the likelihood they will be sufficiently coated with pollen.

The reason for the spadix being held at 45° relative to the spathe may be to maximize the heat's ability to waft the pheromones into the air.

The acid sets off the mitochondria in the cells that make up the sterile zone to switch to an electron transport chain called the cyanide-resistant pathway, which results in the production of heat.

Secondary hemiepiphytes start off on the dark forest floor and climb their way up a tree, displaying their juvenile type leaves along the way.

[13] A deciduous cataphyll curls away from the leaf once it has formed, eventually turning brown and drying out, and finally falling off the plant, leaving a scar on the stem where it was attached.

Characteristic of roots in philodendrons is the presence of a sclerotic hypodermis, which are cylindrical tubes inside the epidermis that can be one to five cells long.

[15] Nectaries can be found in a variety of locations on the plant, including the stalks, sheaths, lower surfaces of the leaves, and spathes.

The nectaries produce a sweet, sticky substance the ants like to eat and which provides an incentive for them to build their nests amongst the roots of the given philodendron.

[18] Other smaller types of beetles in the genus Neelia visit the inflorescences, as well, but they are not believed to be involved in pollinating philodendrons.

Female anthesis typically lasts up to two days and includes the gradual opening of the spathe to allow the beetles to enter.

The beetles have also been observed to be selective to the height of the plant they pollinate, which would serve as an additional preventive measure to make hybrids less likely.

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott addressed the problem of providing improved taxonomy and created the genus Philodendron and described it in 1829.

Philodendrons usually distinguish themselves in their environment by their large numbers compared to other plants, making them a highly noticeable component of the ecosystems in which they are found.

[citation needed] Philodendrons can also be found in Australia, some Pacific islands, Africa and Asia, although they are not indigenous and were introduced or accidentally escaped.

[43] Another feature of this symbiotic relationship, less well understood, is the series of events in which the spadix begins to heat up prior to the spathe opening up for the beetles.

Other species, though, only show a maximum temperature on the arrival of the beetles, which remains roughly constant for about a day, and then steadily decreases.

[45] As the beetles home in on the inflorescence, they first move in a zig-zag pattern until they get reasonably close, when they switch to a straight-line path.

The risk of death, if even possible, is extremely low if ingested by an average adult, although its consumption is generally considered unhealthy.

In general, the calcium oxalate crystals have a very mild effect on humans, and large quantities have to be consumed for symptoms to even appear.

Possible symptoms include increased salivation, a sensation of burning of the mouth, swelling of the tongue, stomatitis, dysphagia, an inability to speak, and edema.

Cases of mild dermatitis due to contact with the leaves have also been reported, with symptoms including vesiculation and erythema.

Fatal poisonings are extremely rare; one case of an infant eating small quantities of a philodendron resulting in hospitalization and death has been reported.

The study also found the symptoms could subside without treatment and that previously reported cases of severe complications were exaggerated.

[clarification needed] The symptoms of the poisoned cats included excitability, spasms, seizures, kidney failure, and encephalitis.

Indigenous people from South America use the resin from bees' nests (made from the species) to make their blowguns air- and watertight.

A tribe in the Colombian Amazon is known to use P. craspedodromum to add poison to the water, temporarily stunning the fish, which rise up to the surface, where they can be easily scooped up.

To add the poison to the water, the leaves are cut into pieces and tied together to form bundles, which are allowed to ferment for a few days.

Although the toxicity of P. craspedodromum is not fully known, active ingredients in the poisoning of the fish possibly are coumarins formed during the fermentation process.