Anthurium carlablackiae

Described by Croat and O.Ortiz from tropical forest spanning Panama to Colombia, Anthurium carlablackiae grows as a terrestrial or low epiphyte in deep leaf litter, developing short, tightly spaced internodes into a self-heading crown. Broad, cordate to ovate-cordate leaves run deep velvety dark green to near-black, crossed with crisp white venation; burgundy petioles deepen further with age, and a pale, pink-flushed spathe completes the picture. Among the velvet anthuriums this is one of the hardest to actually locate — a genuinely difficult plant to source rather than merely an expensive one.

Native range

Panama to Colombia (humid, shaded tropical forest understory)

Classification

Genus

Anthurium

Family

Araceae

Type

Wild

Growth habit

Compact terrestrial to low epiphyte, self-heading

Morphology

Leaf shape

Broad cordateHeart-shaped foliage, featuring a rounded notch (sinus) where the leaf stem attaches. to ovateEgg-shaped leaves, with the wider end near the base.-cordateHeart-shaped foliage, featuring a rounded notch (sinus) where the leaf stem attaches.

Leaf length

20-40 cm

Leaf width

15-30 cm

Petiole colour

Burgundy to dark reddish-green

Venation

White venation contrasting sharply with near-black blade

Texture

Velvety

Variegation

None

Growth habit

Dense basal crown, short internodes, self-supporting