''Anthurium warocqueanum'', commonly known as the Queen Anthurium, is a species of plant in the genus ''

Anthurium ''Anthurium'' (; Schott, 1829) is a genus of about 1,000Mantovani, A. and T. E. Pereira. (2005)''Anthurium'' (section ''Urospadix''; subsection ''Flavescentiviridia'').''Rodriguesia'' 56(88), 145–60. species of flowering plants, the largest g ...

''. Native to

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

, it is grown in more temperate climates as a greenhouse specimen or houseplant for its ornamental foliage.

Description

''Anthurium warocqueanum'' is a member species within ''Cardiolonchium''—the so-called “velvet-leaved” ''Anthuriums'', as they have a covering of tiny, flattened short “hairs” with a texture similar to that of velvet. Fellow velvet-leaf species include some of the most popular and famous plants today, such as ''A. crystallinum'', ''A. regale,'' and ''A. magnificum''. Queen Anthuriums grow as

epiphytic An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

creepers in the rainforests of Colombia, between in elevation. The leaves range from light-green to very dark greenish-black, and can mature to 3-4 feet long and 15 inches wide. It has a green

spathe In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also look ...

and spadix, and produces red berries.

History and horticulture

Named for the Belgian industrialist and horticulturalist

Arthur Warocqué Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...

(1835-1880), the queen Anthurium was first collected from Colombia in 1874 by

Gustav Wallis Gustav Wallis (1 May 1830 – 20 June 1878) was a German plant collector who introduced over 1,000 plant species to Europe, many of which were named after him. He was particularly focused on orchid hunting during the Victorian orchid craze, but ...

(along with ''

Anthurium veitchii ''Anthurium veitchii'', the king anthurium, is an epiphytic species of flowering plant in the genus ''Anthurium'' native to Colombia. It is grown in more temperate climates as a greenhouse or houseplant for its large, pendulous leaves that can b ...

'') during his time working for

Veitch Nurseries The Veitch Nurseries were the largest group of family-run plant nurseries in Europe during the 19th century. Started by John Veitch sometime before 1808, the original nursery grew substantially over several decades and was eventually split into ...

. Long sought after for its stunning foliage, ''Anthurium warocqueanum'' is well known for being difficult to care for, requiring high humidity, indirect light, and well-draining soil.

References

External links

warocqueanum Plants described in 1878 House plants {{Anthurium-stub