Identification: monstera oblique or Monstera friedrichsthalii?

I bought this plant a couple yrs ago with no tag and I'm still uncertain of it's name?

I was once told it was probably friedrichsthalii, but it also looks like oblique. I really don't see the difference between the two. Are they the same plant?

Thanks!

 

Monstera friedrichsthalii and Monstera obliqua are synonyms (same plant, other name) for Monstera adansonii. I spent time last year discussing this species with botanist Dr. Tom Croat of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. In its juvenile state the plant appears as you have it photographed. But given the correct conditions the leaves can grow to around 30 inches. I have a very large specimen in my tropical atrium but also have the juvenile form growing around the room. Monstera sp. can be very deceptive to the untrained eye since almost all go through a metamorphosis during their life. They often start as a blade with no holes which progresses to one with holes and then grows quite large. Many of the juveniles look nothing like the adult plant and some such as Monstera pinnatipartita and Monstera siltepecana are sold on eBay as unnamed Philodendron species such as "Silver Queen". Once they begin to morph then a trained eye can easily recognize them as a Monstera sp. They have fooled botanists for many years thus creating a bunch of synonym names for species which are later determined to be something entirely different. You can read more here:

http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Monstera adansonii pc.html

 

Thank you for all the info and the site. I'll go read it right now!

 

In a post above I indicated Monstera obliqua and Monstera friedrichsthalii are synonyms. Discussions with Dr. Tom Croat of the MIssouri Botanical Garden in mid December of 2007 have led me to change that assumption. Monstera friedrichsthalii is considered a synonym for Monstera adansonii (that can be verified via TROPICOS) but M. obliqua and M. friedrichsthalii are not the same species.