what kind of plant is this

I've been right through my House plant books and the only one that looks a bit like yours is a 'Nicodemia' or 'Indoor Oak'. This is apparently quite rare in the UK, and has no family link with Oak trees, except that the leaves have a slight oak-tree shape.. The leaves are described as very glossy, dark green and having a 'quilted' appearance, Do the individual leaves on your plant have the slightly oak-tree leaf shape? Then I might be right...Our florists on the site might have more ideas.

hi, i too have been into all of my books looking for this one, i have seen it before (being a florist) but i don't know the name, spritz is right it is not common in the UK i have seen it more as a tropical folliege used in large arrangements, although we did have some plants come in a few years ago when i worked in London. Indoor Oak does sound familiar - but don't hold me to that! lol

oh and one last thing, it looks as though it has had leaf shine sprayed on the leaves - the dutch do this before importing to make the plants look shiny and healthy - but in atcutal fact it clogs thepours on the leaf surface and theywill eventually yellow and dye. my advice would be to give it a gentle clean with a warm damp cloth to prevent damage to the leaves. and i would treat it as a tropical plant - it is defo tropical. does'nt like too much light but some light is required, keep away from central heating and drafts, likes humidity, bathroom or kichen would be ideal if this is not poss mist the leaves every so often. keep the soil moist but avoid over watering. hope this helps.

I have had a look too and think what you have is a Scindapsus pinnatum aureus.

A large leaved climber with heart shaped leaves similar to Philodendron but with a yellow marbled variegation. Out of the stem grow aerial roots which are best given a moss pole to cling to, misting the pole occasionally will give you a much healthier plant. There are other cultivars available but unless you can give them the constant temperatures and high humidity they require then E. aureum is the best choice.

Site: Bright indirect light. Too much shade and the variegation will fade.

Temp: Average warmth; keep warm in the winter minimum of 55°F.

Water: Water well in the growing season. Be carefull to let the compost dry out slightly between waterings. High humidity so mist frequently.

Feeding: A liquid feed every month or so.

Tip: If your plant is getting too leggy pinch out the growing tips in spring and it will bush out nicely.

Looking at the photograph it looks like yours!

sorry Maple would disagree, i have seen this plant before and it is not a climber! just not sure on the name, i think it originates from the rain forest and it can get quite tall (3-4ft) but its leaves grow more like a fern or a palm - if that makes sense? in other words leaflets on a stem that come up directly from the soil and will grow upwards and will arch when they get bigger. but the advice you have given is good it does like high humidity and not too much light. the pictures shows that the leaves are falling over i think this is because it does need some attention, but if i am right this plant should not need any support, its leaves do stand errect on a healthy plant without support, my advice to resolve this would be a gentle clean of the leaves with warm damp cloth, and repotting into fresh compost. but i would not tye or support it - it will ruin the overall look of the plant. tell you what i will do temp - because this is bugging me now - i do know the plant - just cant remeber the name - i have a feeling that it could be an indoor oak, but would like to get it right for you - so i will print off a copy of this picture and take it into work with me - see if any of the other girls can id it properly for you. get back to you.

Thanks for all your comments - I finally found out what kind of plant this is. Its called a ZZ plant or Zamioculcas Zamiifolia or simply Zamiifolia.
It's really a beautiful plant - now I can care for it properly and make many, many more.........