Anthurium papillilaminum x 'Ace of Spades'

Panamanian velvet crossed with a Silver Krome selection

This cultivated hybrid combines Anthurium papillilaminum, a terrestrial species of humid lowland forest in Panama, with ‘Ace of Spades’, selected by Denis Rotolante at Silver Krome Gardens. The ‘Ace of Spades’ source line began from seed of a plant labelled ‘Hoffmannii’ whose exact identity and locality were never established. The cross therefore joins one mapped lowland species with one documented horticultural selection, while its individual breeder remains unrecorded.

Care for Anthurium papillilaminum × ‘Ace of Spades’

• Light: Place in bright filtered light. Acclimated plants can take gentle morning or evening sun; hot midday light can mark the velvet surface.
• Watering: Water when the upper 1–2 cm of substrate begins to dry. Soak the root ball evenly, drain it fully and keep the moisture rhythm steady while a leaf is expanding.
• Humidity and airflow: Aim for 65–80% relative humidity with gentle air movement. Dry water from the leaf surface promptly.
• Temperature: Keep at 20–28 °C, with the root zone above 18 °C. Protect the plant from cold glass, draughts and sudden temperature drops.
• Substrate and repotting: Use the supplied pot as the initial moisture benchmark for Anthurium papillilaminum × ‘Ace of Spades’, checking both pot weight and the well-aerated root zone and emerging foliage; change the mix after acclimation when vigorous roots can resume growth quickly. Later, use a pot only 2–3 cm wider and a fine, open mix of coco coir or peat, small bark and pumice or perlite.
• Feeding: Feed with a dilute complete fertiliser while the plant is producing leaves and roots. Continue at a lower rate whenever light and active growth slow, then return to the normal rate with fresh roots or a new leaf and flush the substrate with plain water every 4–6 weeks.
• Velvet hybrid care and propagation: Give expanding dark leaves open space and stable humidity, then clean only after the surface is firm. Propagate from rooted offsets or stem sections carrying a healthy node.

Wilting, root problems and creased leaves

• When leaves yellow or lose firmness: A dry light container explains the wilt; rehydrate the mix evenly and keep drainage open. Wilting in wet mix suggests oxygen loss around the roots; wait for the container to lighten and examine the roots before watering again. A single yellowing leaf at the base often reflects normal ageing.
• Root health after prolonged moisture: Firm pale or tan roots still support the plant; firm new root tips are a useful recovery sign. Remove clearly hollow or slippery root sections with clean scissors; rebuild the root zone with a fine, airy mix and a pot matched to the remaining roots. Before cutting Anthurium papillilaminum × ‘Ace of Spades’, photograph the root system and confirm failure by texture; preserve every firm section, sterilise the tool between cuts and keep the crown stable while new roots develop.
• Crisping at the tip and margin: Crisp tips after a light pot can signal an uneven watering cycle. When moisture is adequate, edge damage often comes from salts, heated glass or weak roots; flush salts when watering is due, move the plant from hot glass and inspect roots if browning continues.
• An isolated spot with a growing border: Contact damage and mineral residue stay dry on the leaf surface; use a daily photo to confirm that it stays local. A soft expanding mark along the margin needs immediate attention; keep the leaf dry, document daily change and ask for plant-health help if expansion continues.
• A quiet crown in useful light: A damaged root system may leave the centre motionless even after the original stress has passed; correct weak light, unsuitable root temperature or root damage before feeding. Use bright filtered light and a stable 20–28 °C range; look for a fresh root or leaf before making another change.
• New-growth damage from pests: Thrips damage appears as silver feeding lines and dark waste spots; mites produce much finer pale speckling over the leaf surface. Search folded new leaves and dry sheaths and the full lower leaf surface; these sheltered sites can escape the first treatment. Quarantine the plant and apply a houseplant product whose label names the pest; repeat according to the product instructions and watch the central growth point weekly until four clean checks have passed.
• Creases or spreading wet marks: Soft velvet leaves need open space and stable moisture while expanding. A fixed crease is mechanical damage; a wet moving edge requires isolation and closer inspection.

Anthurium papillilaminum × ‘Ace of Spades’: a note for pet owners

• Not pet-safe. This plant contains calcium oxalate crystals that can cause immediate pain and irritation if chewed.

The parent names in Anthurium papillilaminum × ‘Ace of Spades’

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus in 1829 in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Litteratur, Theater und Mode, volume 3, page 828.

Papillilaminum combines Latin papilla, “small protuberance”, and lamina, “blade”, referring to the finely bumpy leaf surface. Thomas B. Croat described Anthurium papillilaminum in 1986 in Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 14: 152.

The multiplication sign records a cultivated cross between the formally described Anthurium papillilaminum and Denis Rotolante’s ‘Ace of Spades’ selection. The formula preserves the species parent and the named Silver Krome line.