I'm too comfortable to check the genus & species name, but in stores,
they're usually labeled "Chinese evergreens", and they're really easy to
take care of (your pictures notwithstanding). When grown well, they're
really pretty, they make a flower or two now and then, and will tolerate
everything from very low light to moderate sunlight. The leaves are shiny
(when healthy), so in good weather, put them out in the rain now and then to
get the dust off.

Your plant is probably "pot bound", meaning that its roots are terribly
crowded. Two ways to deal with it. Before doing either, take the pot out of
the basket, put it outside or in the bath tub, and slowly pour a gallon of
water into the pot. Let it drain completely, and then wait a day to take one
of the next steps. The plants will be easier to work with if it's moist, but
not soggy.

1) Can't tell from your pictures, but it's likely that you'll find more than
one "crown", or point from which the leaves are growing (at the soil line).
If you were to remove the whole thing from the pot, you may be able to
GENTLY separate the two crowns and put each in its own pot. If the roots are
terribly tangled, though, you're better off taking your biggest, sharpest
kitchen knife and cutting straight down between the two (or more) crowns).
Then, plant each in its own pot. Separated from their partners, the pots
will look bare for a short time, but the plants will fill out within a month
or two or three.

2) If you like the looks of several plants together, remove the entire bunch
from the pot and move them to a pot that's four to six inches larger in
diameter AND DEPTH. That's going to be a big pot, so your choice of methods
may depend on how much muscle you have when the beast needs to be moved for
a shower, or to clean the floor.

Either way, when you buy new pots, buy the kind whose saucers DO NOT ATTACH
to the pots with stupid plastic snaps. You want separate saucers. These
plants like to be constantly moist, but not soggy. With the snap-on saucers,
you can't see if there's water in them, which means the soil's going to be
soggy. You also can't tell when the water's about to overflow onto the
floor.

Give these plants some diluted liquid plant food every couple of months.



"Geoff Glave" wrote in message
news:COPbe.2358$vN2.1771@clgrps13...
I've "inherited" a house plant and it's not doing so well - Starting to
look
decidedly "droopy". I'm wondering if you experts can let me know what
this
plant is and what kind of care it needs.



I've posted some pictures he



http://www3.telus.net/gglave/plant



Thanks in advance.



Cheers,

Geoff Glave

Vancouver, Canada