In milder climates the plants can be grown in pots of soil. They thrive in moist soils with high organic matter. Many hybrids are derived from Anthurium andraeanum or Anthurium scherzerianum because of their colorful spathes. Like other aroids, many species of Anthurium plant can be grown as houseplants, or outdoors in mild climates in shady spots, including Anthurium crystallinum and Anthurium clarinervium with its large, velvety, dark green leaves and silvery white venation.
The sap is irritating to the skin and eyes. Īnthurium plants are poisonous due to calcium oxalate crystals. They have also been bred to produce spathes in many other colors and patterns. andraeanum, two of the most common taxa in cultivation, are the only species that grow bright red spathes. The spadix and spathe are a main focus of Anthurium breeders, who develop cultivars in bright colors and unique shapes. They are juicy berries varying in color, usually containing two seeds. The fruits develop from the flowers on the spadix. Sometimes it covers the spadix like a hood.
This is variable in shape, as well, but it is lance-shaped in many species. Beneath the spadix is the spathe, a type of bract. The spadix is often elongated into a spike shape, but it can be globe-shaped or club-shaped. The flowers are contained in close together spirals on the spadix. The inflorescence bears small flowers which are perfect, containing male and female structures. The leaves are often clustered and are variable in shape. Īnthurium is a genus of herbs often growing as epiphytes on other plants. The genus is native to the Americas, where it is distributed from northern Mexico to northern Argentina and parts of the Caribbean. General common names include anthurium, tailflower, flamingo flower, and laceleaf.
JSTOR ( December 2008) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Īnthurium ( / æ n ˈ θj uː r i ə m/ Schott, 1829) is a genus of about 1,000 species of flowering plants, the largest genus of the arum family, Araceae.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.