Aglaonema modestum
Small to medium, erect to eventually decumbent, evergreen herb. Stem erect, 20–50 cm tall, 0.4–2.0 cm thick. Leaves few to several together; petioles 6–22 cm long, upper portion flattened; petiolar sheath broad, membranous, 2.5–11 cm long; leaf blade ovate to sublanceolate, rarely elliptic, 12–25 × 5–11 cm, base unequal, obtuse to rounded, apex gradually long acuminate; primary lateral veins 4–6 diverging from the midrib at 30°–50°; interprimary veins much less prominent. Inflorescence 1–3 together; peduncle 5–12.5 cm; spathe elongate-oblong, apiculate, 3–9 × 1.5–2.6 cm, opening pale green and ageing to yellowish, decurrent for 0.5–2.0 cm; spadix thin-cylindrical, sessile, 1.5–4.3 cm long, ca 0.6 –3.1 cm short of spathe apex; pistillate flower zone 0.5–1.0 cm long, adnate to spathe, with 9–13 flowers; staminate flower zone 2.3–3.5 × 0.3–0.6 cm, white; fruits ellipsoid, 2–3 × 1.0–1.3 cm, green, ripening to dark orange.
N. Thailand, N. Laos (types of A. laoticum), S.W. China. Yet to be recorded from N. Vietnam. Described from plants in cultivation in the Philippines, as were A. acutispathum and A. costatum var. viride.
Hill mixed evergreen & deciduous forest on shale and limestone.
This species is commonly cultivated as an ornamental, and is called Wan–lien–tching in Mandarin Chinese literally ‘10,000 years green’ and is considered to bring good fortune to the owner.