This is controversial and if you ask 10 people you will get 10 different answers. This is my answer.
Monstera Deliciosa can have 3 colors. Green is the normal color. Variegation with white, yellow. or a combination of both are spontaneous genetic mutations that have occurred in a green plant.
There are no subspecies of Monstera deliciosa.
Monstera deliciosa is the scientifically ACCEPTED NAME.
All the other names that you hear are SYNONYMS of that accepted name. They include:
Monstera borsigiana
Monstera deliciosa var. borsigiana
Monstera deliciosa var sierriana
Monstera lennea
Monstera taccanaensis
Philodendron anatomicaum
Tornelia fragrans (illrgitimate name)
There are no species or subspecies Marmorata, and the M. borsigiana is now referred to as 'small form'. It is not its own separate species.
The color variations in Monstera are caused by genetic mutations. What the color is, yellow or white, and what the pattern is, is determined by what the mutation was.
I am of the school (and there are a lot of us) that albo-variegata and the form called 'Thai Constellation' are actually the same thing, the only difference being that 'TC" has a pattern of variegation that is largely predetermined to be spots, while 'albo-variegated' has more areas of sectional variegation. All that albo-variegation means is WHITE VARIEGATION. It does not refer at all to any patterning.
Just as all that Aurea-variegation means is YELLOW VARIEGATION.
They are descriptive terms nothing more.
It should also be noted that the 'Thai constellation' spotted form of green and white variegation can also have areas of sectional variegation on the same plant. The spotted variegation is the more stable form of variegation. The sectional form is more prone to reverting.
Variegation patterning is predetermined by hay the mutated cells are distributed in the tissue of the meristem before they travel out across the petiole and into the leaf blade. Some variegation is strong and stable, some is transient (like the ones called MINT) and the ones called HALF MOON are really just lucky sequential half and half leaves...that can go away at any time. Almost all variegated plants will have half and half leaves, AND all white leaves, sometimes.
But one name that is totally not applicable to Monsteras is 'Cheese plant'.
