Does anyone grow Anthurium hookeri?

Disclaimer: The author of this post does not claim to be a botanical expert. The quotes used are solely to provide information given to me from qualified and trained experts. Credits are given to the owners of scientific information where appropriate and that is the sole purpose of using their names. No attempt is being made to associate this author with these experts as a peer, only an interested grower. If the answers or remarks given do not appear to be accurate to you then feel free to attempt communiacation with the botanical sources via the International Aroid Society FACEBOOK account: http://www.facebook.com/pages/South-Miami-FL/International-Aroid-Society/291094100787 since many gladly answer questions but prefer not to communicate via email.


Before you immediately say yes, you are growing Anthurium hookeri, please look at the photos and read the descriptions that will follow in this thread. The source of all this information is Dr. Thomas B. Croat, aroid botanist at the MIssouri Botanical Garden.

Despite the commonly held belief in Florida, Anthurium hookeri is not common and is even somewhat rare in nature. There is an "Anthurium hookeri" (a common name yard plant) and an Anthurium hookeri which is a species found on some of the Caribbean islands in the southeastern West Indies. It has also been observed in northern Venezuela and through the Guiana Shield in northeastern South America but is relatively rare in some of those regions.

The majority of plants sold in Florida are not the true species known to science as Anthurium hookeri but instead the common name plant. Seemingly, no one can give a good reason why almost everyone in Florida thinks they are growing Anthurium hookeri (common name) when they are not. Well known commercial aroid grower Denis Rotolante in Homestead offered the best reason I have been able to find, "As many nurserymen down here know, Anthurium hookeri is a catch all name applied to all bird nest type Anthuriums regardless of true taxonomic origins." Many of those hybrid plants sold in Florida are more closely related to Anthurium schlechtendalii or Anthurium plowmanii than to Anthurium hookeri.


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If you believe you are growing Anthurium hookeri and your plant matches the photos and information in this thread I know for certain there are several growers on Dave's Garden that want to find it.

The first photo as well as this one shows a specimen of the true Anthurium hookeri photographed at the Missouri botanical Garden.

One of the most distinctive characteristics of the true Anthurium hookeri is it does not produce red berries as is commonly believed. The berries of the true species are white. All the information on the Internet as well as on Plant Files stating the berries are red is inaccurate. The plant referred to there is one of the common plants sold in Florida using the name incorrectly.

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a very important feature of Anthurium hookeri is the spacing of the secondary veins which are described in the original sceintific description as being scalariform. Scalariform venation is used to describe the spacing of the interprimary or secondary veins that extend in a roughly parallel or ladder-like fashion between the primary lateral veins. The primary lateral leaf veins are the large veins that run from the midrib to the edge (margin) while in interprimary veins are the slightly smaller veins inbetween..

The photo on this post is incorrect and my error was brought to my attention by Scott Wade. I have added another photo later showing the true scalairforme veins of Anthurium hookeri.


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Another distinctive characteristic is a newly emerging leaf unfurls in a way that is not seen in other birds nest Anthurium species. The unusual way the new leaves of Anthurium hookeri are rolled is known as being supervolute and is very unusual in most species. That term indicates the newly possess coils or folds in overlapping whorls. Vernation refers to the arrangement of young leaf blades and supervolute vernation is to possess a convolute arrangement in the folding or arrangement of a newly emerging leaf blade with one margin (edge) of the newly blade emerging rolled inward toward the midrib and the opposite margin rolled around the midrib o the opposite leaf f in a manner similar to the coil at the end of a conch shell.

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All birds nest Anthurium produce convolute new leaves. The only difference in supervolute and convolute vernation is convolute vernation occurs when several leaves spiral with the next leaf in a module enclosed within the current leaf. I realize this is difficult to understand but look at the leaf in the photo as well as the diagram in this post. I had to stare at the drawing for over a week before my brain could finally see the difference. Look closely at convolute and you will see the next leaf to emerge in the drawing.

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Another very important characteristic is the real Anthurium hookeri has tiny black dots, especially on the underside of the leaves. In science these little black dots are known as glandular punctates.

If you have the real species of Anthurium hookeri please post photos and if you know where specimens of your plant can be found please post that as well. I would especially like to see photos of the black dots on the leaf blade taken with a macro lense. I am certain there will be collectors that will wish to challenge this post so I am also including the original description published in 1841.

The scientific description of Anthurium hookeri is very simple, so for anyone that doubts the accuracy of what I am trying to explain please take a few seconds to read the actual description.

A. hookeri Kunth, Enum. pl. 3:74. 1841. Type: Schott Drawing 517 serves as the lectotype (designated by Mayo, 1982)
Epiphyte. Internodes short, densely rooted; cataphylls lanceolate, 20-26 cm long, dilacerating from base. VERNATION- supervolute; Leaves rosulate; petioles triangular to D-shaped, 2-9 cm long, 1.5-1.7 cm wide; blades oblanceolate, broadest above middle, margins smooth, black glandular punctate on both surfaces, 35-89 cm long, 10-26 cm wide. primary lateral veins 9-15 per side, free to the margin, tertiary veins extending in a more or less parallel, ladder-like fashion between the primary lateral veins (scalariform). peduncle to 47 cm long, to 5 mm diam.; spathe pale green, tinged purple, oblong, to 9 cm long, to 1.5 cm wide; spadix violet-purple, cylindroid-tapered, to 10-16 cm long, to 5-7 mm diam,; Infructescence- berries, obovoid, whitish, to 6 mm long, to 4.5 mm wide.

There are several other unique characteristics found only on Anthurium hookeri and not on the hybrid or miss named plants commonly sold in Florida. If you want to learn more the information can be read here and see other photos provided by aroid botanists: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Anthurium%20hookeri%20pc.html



Thanks very much for any possible leads where this species can be purchased.

Steve














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This photo correctly shows the interprimary (secondary) viens as well as the midrib and primary veins. The interprimaries can be seen to appear somewhat like the rungs of a ladder.

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