Zamioculcas
Zamioculcas is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, containing the single species Zamioculcas zamiifolia. It is a tropical herbaceous perennial plant, native to eastern Africa including Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Malawi, Mozambique,Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Common names include Zanzibar gem, ZZ plant, Zuzu plant, aroid palm, eternity plant and emerald palm. It is grown as a houseplant mainly for its attractive glossy foliage and easy care. Zamioculcas zamiifolia is winter hardy to USDA Zones 9–10.
| Zamioculcas | |
|---|---|
| A cultivated specimen | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Araceae |
| Subfamily: | Zamioculcadoideae |
| Genus: | Zamioculcas Schott |
| Species: | Z. zamiifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Zamioculcas zamiifolia (Lodd.) Engl. | |
Dutch nurseries started wide-scale, commercial propagation of the plant around 1996. It was first described as Caladium zamiifolium by Loddiges in 1829, but moved to the genus Zamioculcas by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott and given its established name, Zamioculcas zamiifolia, by Adolf Engler.