Anthurium plowmanii or hybrid - Aroid of the Week
Posted by The Lorax in June 20, 2008
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Anthurium plowmanii, growing near Vilcabamba, Loja Province. Continuing this month’s theme within the Aroids of extreme variation, here is an Anthurium from section Pachyneurium - the birdsnest types. This one is native to Central and South America, as far north as Ecuador and Southern Peru, and as far South as parts of Brazil and lowland Bolivia. It is unique within the section as being the only member with its peduncles shorter than its spadices. I am not entirely certain of the ID of the plant pictured; it could also be a naturally occurring hybrid as Anthuriums of this section cross-pollinate freely.
A. plowmanii is highly drought-tolerant, and is often the only green plant during the dry season, in the dry forest areas it inhabits. Leaf blades are waved on the margins, and can be in excess of 2 meters long in mature specimens. Spadices begin life as a vibrant deep purple similar to the colour of black grapes, and fade to a greyish tone as they mature. Unfortunately, I have not personally observed the ripe berries of this plant; a friend in Australia with the same species may be kind enough to lend me a photo. The berries are red and oblong in shape, similar to little chili peppers. The plant prefers loose, freely draining soils, full sunlight, and will not tolerate frost or freezing. Propagation is by division or by seed, the latter being safest for the mother plant.
Anthurium truncicola (I think) - Aroid of the Week
Posted by The Lorax in June 13, 2008
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Anthurium truncicola, growing in the Bosque Protector Mindo Nambillo, Pichincha Province. As a demonstration of the extreme variablilty available within even the single Aroid genus Anthurium, here is a trilobed epiphyte from the cloud forest. Whereas last week’s Anthurium had entire leaves with a single, pointed frontal lobe and distinctly swept back anterior lobes, A. truncicola (this week’s featured Aroid) has three distinct frontal lobes and no anterior lobes at all. This is a vining epiphyte; the specimen in the picture was a good 50 feet up a very tall tree. Many thanks to the kind folks over at the UBC Botanical Gardens forums for providing an ID. This plant is sometimes known as Anthurium Code 21; this comes from the coding that Ecuagenera, which sells Ecuadorian aroids, initially gave the plant. It is known to grow in the wild in the province of Pichincha, specifically the cloud forests around Mindo and Nanegal / Nanegalito.
This is apparently a highly variable species, of which some specimens do not even exhibit the trilobed leaf feature. An excellent article about it can be found here. Juvenile forms of the plant have only a single long lobe, similar to the “classic” Anthurium blade shape; the trilobate form develops as the plant matures and can manifest itself in a number of different ways. The leaves are thick, coriaceous, and very deep green, and in the specimen above, at least, the inflorescence is pendant with some slight reflexing towards the tip.
