Are you one of those people who unintentionally named Marble Queen as Pearls and Jade pothos, or vice versa? To avoid such confusion, you have to know that these two plants are different, and thus, they have distinguishing features.
In this article, I will help you separate these two pothoses by listing and elaborating on their differences.
Marble Queen is different from Pearls and Jade pothos in the foliage color, leaf size, and texture. There are also notable differences in their growth habit and taxonomy. Meanwhile, these two varieties of pothos depict similarities seen in the absence of sheaths, petiole structure, and root system.
Contents
Differences Between Pearls and Jade Pothos and Marble Queen
Here are the condensed factors that will help reduce your confusion between the Pearls and Jade pothos and Marble Queen, as they look almost the same.
Foliage Color
We’ve got to start with the most significant difference between the Marble Queen and Pearls and Jade pothos – the leaf variegation. A keen leaf observation will help you establish the dissimilarities.
Marble Queen features green leaves with heavy and large yellowish, creamy or white-colored splashes.
Each streak varies in size as if some artist splatter paint on the leaves. The undersides of the leaves are often medium green variegated with a paler tone.
Meanwhile, Pearls and Jade pothos has comparably fewer blotches with green, white, and gray coloration.
Each patch can be as small as a dot (less than 1 mm) and big that covers half of the leaf surface or more.
These irregular speckles appear both on the top and bottom surface of the leaves, but mostly on the sides.
Just like in the leaves, there are also remarkable differences existing in the petioles of this two pothos.
Though both green, the leafstalks of Marble Queen may appear more variegated in yellow and white stripes.
Leaf Size
A second distinguishing characteristic is the size of the leaves. Derived from the name, Marble Queen is the parent plant of the pothos with unsurprisingly huge leaves. (Source: University of Florida)
Its mature leaves reach an average length of 12 cm (4.5 in). The leaf blade stands out to an impressive width of 8 cm (3 in) as well.
This is in contrast with the Pearls and Jade pothos, which has a smaller leaf size.
A typical plant has leaf dimensions of only 7-8 cm (2.5-3 in) long by 4-5 cm (1.5-2 in) wide. Though a bit petite, this plant is still hefty for your home.
The way of discerning a Marble Queen from Pearls and Jade pothos, through leaf size, is not always accurate.
Remember that certain factors affect and contribute to the development of the plant.
Thus, a more favored condition can result in a plant with big leaves, otherwise smaller.
You May Also Enjoy: Snow Queen vs. Marble Queen Pothos (Differences and Similarities)
The Texture of the Leaves
Though superficially alike, the leaf texture of Marble Queen and Pearl and Jade Pothos has slight differences.
Pearls and Jade pothos has thinness and consistency that is similar to paper. With a close look, you will also find that its leaves tend to bend and pucker on the surface. These curves will result in a wavy and rippling texture.
Marble Queen, on the other hand, has glossy leaves that seem like leather (thick, hard, and tough in appearance).
Once you run your fingers through them, you will find that the leaf texture is a bit raised in some parts.
Though not completely flat, Marble Queen gives off a more smooth and sleek finish compare to the first one.
Growth Rate
Marble Queen are slow growers. That is why they are distinctively different from the other variety of pothos.
Chlorophyll is the green pigment in the leaves that the plant used for photosynthesis. For plants with fewer green parts in their foliage, they capture sunlight in a less amount.
This is the reason why Marble Queen, with leaves that have a large portion of non-green speckles, have shallow photosynthetic activity and thus, slow overall growth.
Though slow, this feature of Marble Queen is advantageous for people who want to keep plants but do not have sufficient growing space.
Meanwhile, there are a few ways to boost the growth of a Marble Queen. Giving them the proper amount of light and water, as well as placing them in a favored environment will help them cope and thrive.
However, the Marble Queen will still grow a bit slower than Pearl and Jade pothos.
Taxonomy
Though knowing the taxonomy is not of great help, it can still establish a difference between Marble Queen and Pearls and Jade pothos.
Taxonomy is the branch of science that classifies plants or animals according to their natural relationships.
Marble Queen and Pearls and Jade pothos belong to the same family but are different cultivars.
These plants are just two of the many pothos varieties like Snow Queen, Silver Vine, Devil’s Ivy, Manjula, and many more.
This leads to the thought that apart from resemblances, they have different features as well.
The table below will give a better picture of the taxonomic hierarchy of the pothos.
| Ranks | Group |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Class | Spermathophytina |
| Order | Lilianae |
| Family | Araceae |
| Genus | Epipremnum Schott – tongavine |
| Species | Epipremnum pinnatum (L.) Engl. – Centipede tongavine, pothos |
You May Also Enjoy: Manjula Pothos Vs Marble Queen (Differences and Similarities)
Similarities Between Pearl and Jade Pothos and Marble Queen
Now, you will learn similarities between the Marble Queen and Pearl and Jade pothos. There are identical characteristics because they both belong to the same family of plants.
Petiole Structure and Texture
Except for the color, the petioles of Marble Queen and Pearls and Jade pothos are identical in structure and texture. The petiole is the stalk that connects a leaf to the plant stem.
Both the Marble Queen and Pearl and Jade pothos have grooved petioles. This means that their petiole curls inward, creating a furrow or channel between them.
This feature, where one side of the stalk braces the other, gives the petiole strength to carry leaves into the sunlight. Additionally, each petiole has a slender appearance with a smooth texture.
The petioles of both the Marble Queen and Pearls and Jade pothos have a length that is smaller than the blade of the leaves they carry. There are also stipules, small leaflike appendages, fused in the leafstalks.
Root structure
Another feature that is identical to Marble Queen and Pearls and Jade pothos is their root system.
Both Marble Queen and Pearls and Jade pothos have aerial roots or sometimes called adventitious roots.
Aerial roots are roots that grow down from a stem or up from underneath the ground. It has functions similar to the typical roots, such as for uptake of water and nutrients.
Apart from the said purposes, aerial roots also support the plants to climb, creep, and anchor themselves to the surroundings. This is the reason why you can see pothos up the wall, in some cases.
Take note that roots develop with the age of the plant. Thus, you might not see any root coming out from the stems sometimes. This incident is prevalent, especially during the juvenile or initial growth of the plant.
Sheath
One of the significant resemblances among the many varieties of pothos, including Marble Queen and Pearls and Jade, is the absence of sheath.
Neither Marble Queen nor Pearl and Jade develop sheaths, unlike the philodendron – a plant that is often confused with pothos.
The sheath is the part of the plant, extending from the base of the petiole, that encircles the stem.
The sheath is for the regulation of substance movement along with the stem and plant tissue protection against the air.
These two varieties of pothos just grow new leaves directly from the vine. Moreover, the leaves, connected in the petiole, sprout alternately on the main stem.
Shape of the Leaf
Though the leaves of the Marble Queen can be larger than those of the Pearls and Jade pothos most of the time, it has a similar shape.
The leaves of the pothos appear in four shapes, in general. These are heart shape, deltoid, ovate, and elliptical.
Cordate leaves are those with a cut base and tapering end, mimicking the shape of a heart.
This is somehow similar to the deltoid leaves except that the latter has a more triangle- or delta-like finish. Meanwhile, leaves are oval as if they form an outline similar to an egg.
Lastly, those leaves that look like a flattened circle, usually with a length that is twice the size of the broadest (middle) part, is elliptical.
Key Takeaway
- Contrary to the frequently occurring false claims, Marble Queen is different from Pearls and Jade pothos. They are different in the foliage color, taxonomy, growth rate, as well as leaf size, and texture.
- Marble Queen and Pearls and Jade pothos depict numerous resemblances that show in different aspects. Some of the similarities are the absence of sheath, leaf shape, petiole structure, and root system. They have identical features because they belong to the same family.