''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 in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

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

Description

''Anthurium warocqueanum'' is a member of the section ''Cardiolonchium'', or the velvet-leaved Anthuriums, along with species such as ''A. crystallinum'', ''A. regale,'' and ''A. magnificum''. Queen Anthuriums grow as epiphytic creepers in the rainforests of Colombia from in elevation. The leaves range from green to very dark green or almost black, and can grow 3-4 feet long and 15 inches wide. It has a green

spathe In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

and spadix, and produces red berries.

History and horticulture

Named for the Belgian industrialist and horticulturalist Arthur Warocqué (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 t ...

. 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 {{Anthurium-stub