Anthurium magnificum, Anthurium magnificum Linden, Exotic Rainforest rare tropical plants

Anthurium magnificum Linden

A member of Anthurium section Cardiolonchium, Anthurium magnificum was published to science in 1865. Information from aroid expert Leland Miyano indicates section Cardiolonchium is a group "usually characterized by velvety leaf blades. It has quadrangular petioles which is the easiest feature to distinguish it from similar species. It may be confused with Anthurium clarinervium, but that is a smaller species with terete or round petioles. The veins of Anthurium clarinervium are also lighter and better defined against the velvety dark green of the leaf blades."

Anthurium magnificum is exclusively found in (endemic to) Colombia in NW South America. Based on the field collection notes of aroid botanist Dr. Thomas B. Croat Ph.D., P.A. Schulze Curator of Botany of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, MO., the petioles of Anthurium magnificum are roughly quadrangular (four sided) but may also be C shaped. The petioles, which are the leaf blade's support are often called a "stem" by collectors. The petioles are winged on all corners and have four wings along both sides near the base. The true stem is the base of the plant, not the leaf support.

The velutinous (velvety) leaf blades of Anthurium magnificum are coriaceous (leathery) to moderately coriaceous and dark green but may be bi-colored with a light silver green along the major leaf veins. The leaf blades are weakly glossy. The blades are substantially paler on the underside which is also matte. The cataphylls (which are a modified leaf that surrounds any newly emerging blade) persist semi intact once a new leaf blade opens. New leaf blades are brownish burgundy when first unfurled.

Anthurium magnificum juvenile, Photo Copyright 2008, Steve Lucas, www.ExoticRainforest.com All Anthurium species are aroids. An aroid is a plant that reproduces by producing an inflorescence known to science as a spathe and spadix. Most people believe the spathe is a "flower", it is not. The spathe is simply another specially modified leaf. On the spadix at the center of the inflorescence there can be found very tiny flowers when the plant is at anthesis and ready to reproduce. All Anthurium species reproduce via the production an inflorescence. The stalk that supports the entire inflorescence is the peduncle. When an Anthurium is "in flower" the reference is to the tiny flowers containing both male and female sexual parts that grow on the spadix at the center of the inflorescence. Unlike plants in the genus Philodendron which contain imperfect flowers having only a single sex Anthurium possess perfect flowers containing both sexes. To help prevent self pollination nature has designed the female flowers to be receptive before the male portion of the flower produce their pollen so in most cases an insect must bring pollen from another plant. The spadix produces the tiny flowers which if pollinated will produce berries containing seeds. The berries produced on the spadix (if pollinated) each contain 1 to 2 seeds.

The spathe of Anthurium magnificum is green as well re-curved. The spadix is a dark or medium green to yellow-green before anthesis and becomes yellow as it ages near female anthesis. The inflorescence stands erect above the leaves. The peduncle which supports the inflorescence is sharply 9-ridged.

Like all Anthurium species, Anthurium magnificum changes as it grows. The juvenile leaf blades sometimes only vaguely resemble the adult blades. Morphogenesis within aroid species is common and is explained in non-technical language in this link. Click here