Flamingo Lily

Overview

Anthurium andraeanum is native to northern South America which is Columbia to Ecuador. It is an easy plant to grow, and widely spread in tropical and subtropical areas. A popular pot or cut flower that is grown for its brightly long-lasting coloured flower spathes and its ornamental leaves. It is also used in traditional medicine of China and Philippines, however, this species is toxic to humans and pets for its components that can cause allergic reactions. Furthermore, this plant is considered as air filtering.

Vernacular Names

Lakanthurium (Dutch), Grosse flamingblume (German), O-beni-uchiwa (Japanese), Bunga hati (Malay), Hong mon (Vietnamese).

Agroecology

Flamingo lily prefers medium to high light, moist well-drained soil, and low to medium relative humidity, with a pH 5.5-6.5. Too little light will cause the plant to bloom less and grow slowly; south or west-facing windows are best. High-phosphorus fertilizer will encourage more blooms as well as pruning away old spent blooms. Wipe down the leaves of indoor plants periodically to remove dust. Grow best with lots of bright, indirect light. Make sure it doesn't receive direct sun, which can burn the leaves. Ideal temperatures for this plant are between 18 - 30 °C.

Morphology

• Root - fibrous system.
• Stem - short, erect, sometimes elongate, climbing, with adventitious aerial roots.
• Leaves - simple, alternate, petiolate, pinnate venation, cordate base, cuspidate apex-tip, heart-shaped, glossy with a smooth entire leaf margin. The dark green leaves can measure up to 20 cm long.
• Flower -  bisexual, axillary, cluster inflorescence, The inflorescence comprise of a cream-yellow tail-like spadix and bright red spathe that is wide, flat and waxy. Spathes are heart-shaped and waxy. The spadix is erect, cylindric, often tapering, sometimes twisted. The spathe is persistent and in right angle to spadix.
• Fruit - small, fleshy berry, round, yellow in colour produced along the spadix.

Cultivation

• Generative propagation is by seed.
• Vegetative propagation is by division and cutting.

Chemical Constituents

Alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, phlobatannins, steroids, and tannins.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• In Philippines, leaf decoction is used for kidney diseases, and crushed leaves rubbed on caterpillar sores.
• Flower ash is used to treat boils.
• In China, it is used for rheumatic pains.
• It is considered antimicrobial and anticancer.