With over 1000 species of Anthurium, and more to be discovered, it is an amazingly diverse genus of the Araceae family. An exciting feature of this genus is that many (although not all) species can breed with one another to create hybrids! This makes for some fascinating traits and foliage.
While excellent specimens result from hybridising worldwide, for growers based in Australia, this practice is especially important. Australia’s strict biosecurity laws make it a costly, lengthy and risky endeavor to import plants, in particular those species that have not been imported here before. This doesn’t stop us from adding to our collections though! With a thriving grower community, many have brought out, and are still bringing to the market captivating new hybrids to quench our thirst for unique Anthuriums.
So, with all these wonderous specimens, how can we tell just what is what? This all comes down to the proper labelling of plants, making sure to track lineage.
Lets look at a simple example first of hybridising two different pure Anthurium species and what the resultant seedling should be labelled as. We always start by stating the genus. Secondly, we list the mother/seed bearing parent species. Then we need to state that this is a hybrid or a cross, to do this we write an ‘X’. Lastly, we list the father/pollen parent species.
Next let’s look at a hybrid plant that is the result of a hybrid Anthurium and a pure Anthurium. The format will remain the same, but we still need to list all plants that went into the making. To make this a little easier to read, we’re going to use brackets to keep an older generations ‘ingredients’ altogether.
As generations continue, this can obviously get a little out of hand. Here are a few things you might come across in your search for new Anthuriums:
⦁ Species names will be shortened. For example, ‘lux’ will denote luxurians and ‘pap’ will denote papillilaminum.
⦁ Growers will end a hybrids name with just an ‘X’. This means that the pollen parent is unknown (usually the seed parent was pollinated with the wind or bugs) and should not be assumed. This may also mean that the grower does not know the lineage of the pollen parent, however usually this is denoted with ‘NOID’ because there is no identification for the pollen parent.
⦁ ‘NOID’ will mean that the grower does not know the lineage at all. They may be able to describe traits that would lead to some conclusions; It would be unethical to label an Anthurium by guessing its genetics.
⦁ ‘Complex hybrid’ will be used to describe a plant that is the result of several generations of hybridisation. Sometimes the grower may be able to provide a lineage.
⦁ ‘X’ and ‘x’ are both used. At The Rare Seed, we use ‘x’ for a previous generation, and ‘X’ for a new hybridisation. This is purely from an SEO standpoint to exclude using parenthesis. Parents will always be listed in the description for clarification.
⦁ Many species of Anthurium have different forms, despite being the same species. Growers have different ways to show this. You might find for example, (round form) after the species name or ‘El Valle’ after the species name.
While what you have seen above is best practice for labelling plants, many growers and sellers will choose their own way to communicate this information to you. Read the label and description carefully. If you are unsure or interested in more information, contact the seller. They will be able to give you as much knowledge of the plant as they have. More importantly, check out the photos. Choose the plants that you love to look at, this is what it is really all about.
We’ll see you shortly for even more on labelling Anthuriums when it comes to seedlings vs clones. Until then... Happy growing!