Glossary
The plant world is full of acronyms and all sorts of words and terms that definitely weren't covered in high school biology (or if they were we've all forgotten them). As a beginner it can feel like trying to understand a foreign language. So, consider this the start of a guide book to the modern world of Anthurium (and some generic terms which apply to all plants).
I am an imperfect person. If you think I've got anything wrong or if you feel something can be explained more clearly please do contact me. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.
If you'd like a term added or you think that something needs more explanation in a blog post, please let me know via this form. I won't always know the answer but hopefully I can find someone who does and we can build the guide.
Term | Unabbreviated | Meaning |
aff | affinis | Latin term for an unknown species that looks similar to another species |
Abaxial | The lower surface of a leaf (I remember it as bax = back) | |
Adaxial | The upper surface of a leaf | |
AOS | Ace of Spades | A sought-after Anthurium hybrid, originally from Silver Krome Gardens |
Back cross | When a hybrid is crossed with one of its parents, usually to try to emphasise the traits of that parent in the resulting offspring | |
Bench hybrid AKA open pollination | Plants that have been pollinated naturally or accidentally and therefore the pollen parent (see entry) can't be identified | |
Binomial nomenclature | The system of naming all organisms by their genus and their species (e.g. Anthurium luxurians and Homo sapiens). The genus is capitalised and the species isn’t (technically they should also be in italics but we’re not botanists so let’s not get carried away). See also Taxonomy. | |
BST | Buy Sell Trade | I'm adding this because for the longest time I thought a Facebook group with this in the name was explaining that it followed British Summer Time. I often wondered why they felt the need to mention it until someone put me out of my misery. |
Bullate | A botanical term describing a surface that's blistered and pebbly | |
BVEP | Black Velvet Eastern Panama | A dark velvet Anthurium from, believe it or not, Eastern Panama. This plant has been described (see entry) and given the name Anthurium antolakii. As it has not yet been published, antolakii is technically still a placeholder name, just like sp. BVEP. |
BVIT | Black Velvet Indo Type | An Indonesian hybrid |
Cataphyll | A modified leaf which protects newly emerging leaf blades. In Anthurium the term 'at cataphyll' or similar is used to describe a relatively mature plant which may soon begin to flower. | |
cf. | confer | A latin term (literally meaning to compare) for an undescribed plant (see entry) that looks similar to another species but has notable differences. Often used interchangeably with 'aff' (see entry). |
Clone | a) a propagation or division of a particular plant (see entry 'vegetative propagation') b) used to refer to notable individual plants, often named by the collector (e.g. papillilaminum RA1 - see entry for RA)" | |
Collecting / collective vein | The vein that runs around the inner edge of a leaf | |
Convolute vernation | Where new leaves are fully rolled together lengthways from one margin to another. As far as I know, most of the more common Anthurium unfurl their leaves this way. Compare with involute vernation and see separate entry on vernation. | |
Cultivar | The word is a contraction of 'cultivated variety'. It's a plant that has been selectively bred to enhance desired traits | |
Described | Where a botanist has described a newly discovered species before publishing it in an academic journal (where the latin name is given) | |
Doc Block | A US breeder (his website) | |
DP | Dark Phoenix | A sought after Indonesian hybrid. Originally thought to be papillilaminum x dressleri but now disputed. |
f1 | 1st filial generation | At the highest level, its the first generation of offspring from plants that have been successfully crossed. Selfed plants (see entry) can be called s1 (see entry) or f1. I have a blog on this planned but the terms are not used consistently so my advice is, if you want to know whether a plant is a self, ask. |
FS | Fort Sherman | A papillilaminum clone named for the area where the it was originally found |
Generative propagation | A means of creating more plants by pollinating and producing seeds. Plants from seed are less likely to look like the parent plant(s) than plants from cuttings (vegetative propagation - see entry). | |
Geniculum | In Araceae in particular this refers to the 'shoulder' of the petiole - a slightly swollen bend, just before the petiole joins the leaf. This geniculum allows the leaf to move in response to changing light sources. | |
Goliath | An Indonesian hybrid, also known as Darkest Panama | |
Grower's choice | Plants sold from a batch where you don't get to pick your own. It's literally the grower's choice of which one you're sent. I only use grower's choice for germinated seeds and seedlings with a leaf of two that aren't yet showing traits. I send the strongest of the seedlings available. | |
Guttation | Water droplets that are secreted from the pores of a plant. Most notably in anthurium, the droplets can accumulate on the tip of the leaf. Without sufficient air flow this can cause browning. | |
Hybrid | An offspring resulting from the pollen from one plant being applied to the inflorescence of another plant of a different species or hybrid. In terms of the naming convention for anthurium, the seed parent (see entry) is named first followed by the pollen parent (see entry). Where there is a complex hybrid you can see lots of pairs of parentheses ( ), brackets [ ] and braces { } used. You might also see a capital X separating the seed parent from the pollen parent. As we get more and more complex hybrids we're going to need much bigger plant labels. And some new punctuation. For example, a hybrid written as (crystallinum x carlablackiae) x (dressleri x [forgetii x papillilaminum]) tells us that the seed parent was a hybrid of crystal x carla. The pollen parent was a more complex hybrid. Its seed parent was a dressleri and its pollen parent was a forgetii x pap. So, very roughly, the hybrid we started with is one quarter crystallinum, carlablackiae and dressleri and one eighth forgetii and pap. Clear? Excellent. | |
Inflorescence | The structure of a plant that contains its flowers, spathe, spadix and peduncle (see entries) | |
Infructescence | The structure of plant that holds its fruits. When an inflorescence (see entry) has been successfully pollinated and is growing berries it can be called an infructescence. | |
Intersectional | With regard to plants, a hybrid where the seed parent (see entry) is in a different section (see entry) to the pollen parent (see entry) | |
Intraspecific | A cross made between different plants of the same species | |
Involute vernation | Where new leaves unroll lengthways from both margins into the midrib (see entry). For example, Anthurium spectabile unfurls leaves this way. Compare with convolute vernation and see separate entry on vernation. | |
ISO | In Search Of | Usually on a social media post by someone stalking their wish list plant |
IT | Indo Type | Often seen used with other species or hybrid names (e.g. carlablackiae IT and AOS IT). It is used to show plants that may look like similar to the named plant but are most likely complex hybrids. |
Lateral vein | The veins that branch off from the plant's main vein or mid rib (see entry) | |
LECA | Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate | A semi-hydro substrate (see entry) in which some people grow their plants (can also be added to other mixes for aeration) |
Mid rib | The main vein that usually runs down the centre of the leaf blade | |
Node | The part of the stem from which leaves emerge. It's particularly relevant when it comes to vegetative propagating (see separate entry). | |
NOID | no ID | A plant whose species or hybrid is unknown. N.B. I pronounce it 'no ID' but I know people who say 'noid', to rhyme with 'Lloyd', which I find utterly charming. |
Nova | Indicates a species is recently found but not yet described (see entry) | |
OG[number] | Original | I absolutely thought this stood for Original Gangsta or at least Original God? But no, it stands for Original (although a seed has been planted). It's the naming convention Scott Cohen (an well-respected US grower) uses for his select clones (see entry). |
Open pollination AKA bench hybrid | Plants that have been pollinated naturally or accidentally and therefore the pollen parent (see entry) can't be identified | |
Pap or papi | Papillilaminum | A variable species of Anthurium |
Peduncle | The structure connecting the inflorescence (see entry) to the main stem | |
Petiole | The structure connecting the leaf to the main stem | |
Phyto | Phytosanitary certificate | A certificate prepared for plants that are to be exported |
Pollen parent | The plant whose pollen is applied to the seed parent when creating a cross (see 'seed parent'). Sometimes called the father. | |
Pon | A Lechuza branded semi-hydro substrate (see entry) in which some people grow their plants | |
PP | Plant Passport | UK plant health requirement for plants that are sent via the post (read more here) |
RA[number] | Rory Antolak | Names used for individual clones (see entry) belonging to renowned grower Rory Antolak |
RL | Ralph Lynam | A papillilaminum clone named for an Anthurium collector |
RVDP | Red Vein Dark Phoenix | A sought after Indonesian hybrid |
s1 | 1st selfed generation | Some growers label their selfed (see entry) plants' offspring as s1. A selfed s1 would be called s2 etc. (compare with f1) |
Section | A taxonomic rank between genus and species. Anthurium will generally hybridise more easily if both parent plants are in the same section. | |
Seed parent | The first plant named in a cross. It’s the plant that bears the berries and produces the seeds. Sometimes called the mother. | |
Self / self-pollination | A plant where the parent plant’s flower was pollinated by its own pollen | |
Semi hydroponics (or passive hydroponics) | A method for growing plants in an inorganic, soil-free substrate with a reservoir | |
Sinus | The area between a leaf's lobes | |
Sp. | Species | An undescribed species (see ‘described’) or may be used as shorthand for the word species |
Spadix | The spike that we see as the main part of the inflorescense on Anthurium (and other genera, notably in the Araceae family). The spadix is made up of many individual flowers. | |
Spathe | The leaf-like structure that encloses the spadix (see entry) in Anthurium and other genera, notably in the Araceae family | |
Substrate | Simply the medium a plant is potted in: moss or soil mix or semi hydro etc. | |
Taxonomy | The branch of science concerned with the classification of living things. All organisms (including us) are described at 7 levels: Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species The mnemonic I learned in school was King Philip Came Over From Good Spain but I've since heard Kinky People Can Often Find Good Sex. The latter seems more memorable. | |
TC | Tissue culture (or sometimes Monstera Thai Constellation) | Sometimes called micropropagation, this is the specialised propagation of a plant via small cell samples. A plant that has been tissue cultured should share the same genetic makeup of the mother plant. They are therefore more likely to look like the mother plant than propagations by seed / generative propagation (see entry). |
Undescribed | A plant that has not yet been described by a botanist before being published in an academic journal and so it has a placeholder name (see described) | |
Variegation | The appearance of different colours in a plant, usually on a leaf. This can be stable (think about the leaf on a calathea). Or it can be caused by a genetic mutation or virus or another pathogen. Generally this type is less stable. | |
Vegetative propagation | A means of creating more plants by taking cuttings. Plants from cuttings will be clones and share the same genes as the original plant. They are therefore more likely to look like the mother plant than propagations by seed / generative propagation (see entry). | |
Vernation | The arrangement of a leaf in the bud (from the word 'vernal' which means fresh or like spring - don't you love that?). See separate entries for involute and for convolute vernation. |