Anthurium papillilaminum × ‘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.

Care for velvet Anthurium foliage and roots

• 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 layer of the 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 high humidity with gentle air movement. Dry water from the leaf surface promptly.
• Settling in and root care: Keep the well-aerated root zone evenly supplied while the plant settles, and repot only after fresh roots or a new leaf confirm active growth.
• 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.

Root, stem and leaf problems in Anthurium papillilaminum × ‘Ace of Spades’

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Anthurium papillilaminum × ‘Ace of Spades’ is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its leaves and stems contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the mouth, throat, skin and eyes.
• Chewing may cause burning pain, drooling, swelling, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional after exposure, especially if swelling or breathing problems occur.

Anthurium papillilaminum: name and meaning

The genus name Anthurium combines Greek anthos, “flower”, and oura, “tail”, referring to the tail-like spadix. Papillilaminum combines Latin papilla, “small protuberance”, and lamina, “blade”, referring to the finely bumpy leaf surface.

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott established the genus Anthurium in 1829 in Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Literatur, Theater und Mode, volume 3, page 828.

Thomas Bernard Croat first described Anthurium papillilaminum in 1986 in Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden, volume 14, page 152.