Anthurium facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anthurium |
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| Flamingo Lily (Anthurium andraeanum) | |
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Anthurium
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Anthurium is a big group of plants, with about 600 to 1,000 different kinds! They are part of the arum family, called Araceae. People also call them "Flamingo Flowers" or "Boy Flowers" because of how their special flower parts look.
These plants mostly grow in warm, wet mountain forests in Central America and South America. Some can even live in drier places!
What are Anthurium Plants Like?
Anthurium plants are usually herbs. Many of them are epiphytes, which means they grow on other plants, like trees, but they don't harm them. Some also grow in the ground.
Their leaves often grow close together and come in many different shapes. What looks like the flower is actually an inflorescence – a group of tiny flowers. Each tiny flower has both male and female parts.
These tiny flowers grow in tight spirals on a stalk called a spadix. The spadix often looks like a spike, but it can also be round or shaped like a club. Underneath the spadix is a colorful leaf-like part called a spathe. The spathe also comes in many shapes. It might be flat, curved, or even cover the spadix like a hood.
The fruits grow from the tiny flowers on the spadix. They are juicy berries that come in different colors, and usually have two seeds inside.
Colorful Spathes
The spadix and spathe are very important to people who grow Anthurium plants. They try to create new kinds with bright colors and unique shapes.
Two common types, Anthurium scherzerianum and A. andraeanum, are the only ones that naturally have bright red spathes. But growers have made many other kinds with spathes in all sorts of colors and patterns!
Safety Note
It's important to know that Anthurium plants are poisonous. They have tiny crystals called calcium oxalate that can cause irritation. The sap from the plant can irritate your skin and eyes, so it's best not to touch it without gloves.
Images for kids
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Flamingo Flower
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Anthurium polyschistum
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Anthurium digitatum inflorescence
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Anthurium scandens fruits and leaves
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Anthurium gracile
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Anthurium obtusum
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Anthurium andraeanum cv. Previa
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See also
In Spanish: Lirio flamingo para niños
