PlantFiles: Birds Nest Anthurium
Anthurium hookeri

According to the scientific description, Anthurium hookeri has whitish seed berries, not red as is often believed. Anthurium hookeri is not a member of section Pachneurium as is commonly believed. This species is in a section all its own. Dr. Tom Croat wrote this in a personal message, "I personally think that it is in a new section of its own. It differs from any other section in having scalariforme veins and glandular punctations. We had hoped that molecular studies would help to sort out some of these questions but the last I heard my student Monica had not really gotten good resolution on all the sections." Scaliforme veins describes veins that are evenly spaced and glandular punctates describes tiny black dots.

The species is very distinctive since it has tiny black dots on lower leaf surfaces according to the message from botanist Dr. Tom Croat of the Missouri Botanical Garden. It appears many of the plants sold in South Florida as Anthurium hookeri are actually some hybrid form and not the species. The veins are also arranged in a very even "ladder-like" arrangement. The scientific description is now posted on the internet so you can compare your own specimens. But if you have the plant commonly sold in South Florida it is almost certain you have a hybrid rather than the species. This is a note from botanist David Scherberich with more information and a verified photo: "If you look closely at the underside of the leaves you should notice some very small dark points, this is characteristic of Anthurium hookeri. The glaucous bluish spadix is also typical."

There are hybridizers now selling a "black" Anthurium hookeri which is almost certainly a hybrid of some other parentage. The plants do not match the scientific description in almost all cases.

This is the only species I have any personal experience with... grew great for many years in zone 9b (no longer have garden so not sure how doing now). Stiff, upright leaves but flowers not too showy (brown and short-lived)... good looking seed pods, though (bright red).