Flower Many of species of Anthurium are herbaceous epiphytes native to tropical America, brought into cultivation as ground or potted plants. The leaves are usually simple, large, attractively coloured and borne on long stalks. The flowering stalk is slender, ending in a fleshy column crowded with many unisexual flowers. There is a conspicuously coloured leafy bract subtending the fleshy column. This may be white, yellow, red, pink, orange or green.
Anthuriums are popular foliage plants.
They are also grown for their attractive flowering bracts which are popular with the cut flower trade. The name Anthurium is Greek in origin, meaning tail flower, referring of course to the flowering column. Anthurium contains calcium oxalate and some unidentified compounds.