The day has finally arrived! Baby Burle Marx Flames are beginning to show up on the marketplace, and we have one with us this week :) (Here she is pictured next to my personal grown plant for scale)
What is now called Monstera 'Burle Marx Flame' was found in Burle Marx's collection in Rio de Janeiro and introduced to cultivation from there. It is not known where this plant was collected from. It bears some superficial resemblance to Monstera deliciosa, especially to Monstera deliciosa var. sierrana (now a synonym of Monstera deliciosa). The juvenile leaves in particular resemble a flame. The name is a combination of these two aspects of the story behind this cultivar. It is an active climber with moderately spaced internodes. It has significantly narrow leaflets that are wide apart makes it easy to distinguish from other forms of Monstera deliciosa in cultivation that are the closest matches to this plant.
Among collectors the BMF is famous for it's leaves that resemble a ribcage or a skeleton. It is a truly stunning plant. Beyond its beauty and rarity, this species is also a SLOW grower which is why these are so hard to find in circulation.