Anthurium Papillilaminum: Complete Profile & Care Guide

Quick species snapshot

• Sectional Placement: Cardiolonchium
  
• Geographic Origin: Panama, primarily Colón and Darién provinces
  
• Habitat Conditions: humid lowland rainforest; mainly terrestrial, growing on the forest floor below 100m elevation
  
• Leaf Features: dark green to nearly black (depending on light conditions), velvety leaves with no silver veining; heart-shaped to elongated depending on variety
  
• Inflorescence Features: upright green spadix, light green spathe, and white-red coloured berries
  
• Seed Gestation Period: 2-3 months
  
• Growth Rate: medium-fast (under optimal conditions)
  
• Difficulty Level: easy-medium; requires stable humidity and soft lighting, but forgiving once established

Introduction and overview

Anthurium papillilaminum (pronounced pap-ill-ih-lam-in-uhm) is a captivating species within the genus. Its godlike dark and velvety foliage almost doesn’t seem possible for a plant—coaxing anyone into the slippery slope of collecting anthuriums.

Close-up of anthurium papillilaminum's velvet leaf texture. Photo Credit: @imaplantkeeper.

Although once rare, papillilaminum has become one of the most recognized and widely cultivated anthuriums in the entire genus. The reason for this is that it doesn’t just come in one form; there's an array of different ecotypes that exist in the wild and it’s also extremely easy to hybridize with other anthurium species, often improving the characteristics of the other species. That’s also why now, you’ll find papillilaminum crossed with everything under the sun.

Although it looks intimidating, it’s pretty easy to take care of, given you have it in the right setup. When grown well, many papillilaminum specimens can appear very dark green-almost black, especially under lower light conditions. It’s also a really well liked plant because of its compact growth habits. A lot of anthurium species have very long petioles and tend to sprawl out and take up space, whereas papillilaminum has short petioles and the leaves grow pretty close together.

Upon reaching maturity, the plant produces an upright inflorescence featuring a slender green spadix and a green tinged spathe with red-violet colouring. Once successfully pollinated, the spadix develops clusters of white and red-mixed berries.

The name papillilaminum refers to the texture of its leaf surface—“papillose”, meaning it’s covered in microscopic bumps. This is responsible for giving the leaf surface its classic velvet texture.

In this article, we’ll discuss the many forms available, as well as its natural habitat and history to get a better sense of what kind of care is most optimal and how it became so infamous.

Sectional placement

Sectional placement is essentially how botanists group together species that are closely related in a single genus. For anyone interested in breeding, this is a huge factor because plants within the same section are far more likely to successfully hybridize with one another compared to trying to cross plants from two different sections.

Anthurium papillilaminum belongs to section Cardiolonchium. The defining trait for this group is their velvety leaf blades, which are caused by tiny, specialized "papillate" cells on the surface that help the species' absorb light in highly shaded environments—and as we know is the reason for papillilaminum's name.

In the anthurium genus, Cardiolonchium is grouped alongside 18 other sections, but this one in particular contains the highest level of most famous species and specimens used in hybridizations. Cardiolonchium is also massive, containing about 245 known species. In it, you’ll find many of the most famous anthuriums like crystallinum, forgetii, and warocqueanum—and as you’ll find out below, have already been hybridized with papillilaminum.

History

The first recorded collection of wild papillilaminum specimens was done by botanist R. D. Sheffer in Panama on July 2nd, 1973.

Botanist Dr. Robert Dressler later collected wild papillilaminum specimens in 1982. They were found in Achiote, a rural town near Lago Gatún, an artificial lake that forms a vital part of the Panama Canal in the Colón Province of Panama. After the collection, he prepared it for what’s known as a holotype—the single physical specimen that serves as the permanent, legal definition and reference point for a new species. The process involved pressing, flattening, and drying the plant before mounting it onto a heavy archival sheet. This holotype was submitted to the Missouri Botanical Garden.

It wasn’t until four years later, in 1986, when anthurium papillilaminum was officially described (published into literature) for the first time. Dr. Thomas Croat was the one who did so, a botanist that described, catalogued, or reclassified over 1,600 anthurium species (over 90% of the known total of species). This is why you commonly see the species name as Anthurium Papillilaminum Croat—this naming convention is common (although the scientific name for species do not include someone’s name at the end) as it gives credit to who wrote the original, published scientific description for the species.

In the 1980s, Jay Vannini collected what would become the now-iconic “Fort Sherman” clone of anthurium papillilaminum near the U.S. Army base of the same name, located along the northern edge of the Panama Canal. Around the same era, Florida-based horticulturist Ralph Lynam introduced another dark, velvety specimen from the same region, now known as the “Ralph Lynam” clone.

Since then, more wild papillilaminum populations with different characteristics have been discovered in different regions of Panama. This has really made the species famous and covetable, and pretty much any collector of rare anthuriums has a pap or pap hybrid.

But, it hasn’t been all positive. As a result of its popularity over the last decade especially, news broke in 2022 that a mass poaching event of papillilaminums occurred in the Panama region of Guna Yala, in which entire wild populations were unethically removed from the wild. As a result, these have naturally filtered into personal collections as companies knowingly or unknowingly have sold these specimens. Poaching has become a real problem for other anthurium species as well.

Natural habitat

An interactive map pinpointing specific wild populations of anthurium papillilaminum found in Panama.

Anthurium papillilaminum is endemic to Panama, in Central America. While many related species in the Cardiolonchium section range across Central and South America, this species is restricted to the Caribbean slope of the Isthmus of Panama. It thrives in the Isthmian-Atlantic moist forest, an ecoregion known for consistent rainfall and stable conditions throughout the year.

The distribution is centered in the Colón Province, where the type locality of Achiote sits near the shores of Lake Gatún. This region is also home to the well-known populations on the western bank of the Panama Canal, including sites like Fort Sherman and Portobelo. Each of these specific locations has yielded distinct ecotypes like 'Fort Sherman' and 'Ralph Lynam', which are characterized by their elongated, dark blades and wide sinuses.

Moving east, populations continue into the Comarca Guna Yala. In these indigenous territories, the plants are found on both the mainland and coastal islands. These Guna Yala forms often show a shorter, more compact growth habit with intense velvet texture. The range also extends into the province of Darién, the far eastern region bordering Colombia. Wild populations there are typically found in the dense, lowland forests near the border, including areas like the Serranía de Pirre and the Serranía del Sapo.

Further west, the species has been documented in the central province of Coclé, specifically in the humid tropical forests surrounding the city of Penonomé and within the protected wilderness of Omar Torrijos 'El Copé' National Park.

In its natural environment, papillilaminum is primarily terrestrial (grows on the forest floor), but can also be semi-epiphytic. It grows in the deep shade of the understory, usually at elevations below 100 meters. Light levels are minimal, often ranging from 150 to 300 foot-candles. The velvety surface of the leaf is a functional adaptation to these conditions; the microscopic papillae help the plant capture and diffuse limited light in the dim forest floor. Humidity is the defining factor of this niche, with daily averages between 75% and 84%. During the rainy season, which runs from May to December, the air frequently reaches total saturation at night.

While Panama has a defined dry season from January to April, the Caribbean slope does not experience the severe moisture loss found on the Pacific side. Rainfall is distributed more evenly throughout the year, with annual totals typically ranging between 118 and 140 inches. This level of rainfall is massive, nearly tripling that of Vancouver’s notorious rainfall, for example. 

This consistent moisture supports the Isthmian-Atlantic moist forest, which is the primary forest type for paps. While the core populations in Colón and Guna Yala are lowland inhabitants, the populations in the western reaches of Coclé and eastern Darién exist in regions where lowland forests transition into premontane rainforest and cloud forest environments.

These environmental metrics are remarkably consistent across all discussed locations. Temperatures remain steady between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius regardless of the specific province. The substrate across this range is a loose, highly aerated mix of leaf litter and decaying wood over volcanic soil. This composition allows for the rapid drainage required by the root system during the heavy rainy season, keeping the roots oxygenated while maintaining a slightly acidic environment with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5.

Wild ecotypes and clones

Pictured are different papillilaminum ecotypes and clones. Photo Credit: @imaplantkeeper.

If you’ve done a bit of research on anthurium papillilaminum, you’ve probably noticed the endless list of confusing names attached to it. Honestly, it’s a bit messy. Here, we describe the differences between ecotypes and clones as being able to identify these types of specimens is crucial if you’re in the market for one.

An ecotype describes a natural variation of a plant found in a specific location, whereby differences in environments cause changes in leaf shape, size, and colour, for example.

A clone describes a plant that’s been propagated from a specific individual to keep its exact traits, and stays genetically identical to the original plant. Just because a plant is the same species, does not mean they’re identical unless cloned, especially in the case of anthuriums due to their wide variation potential. So for example, a *describe an example of a clone

Some ways a clone can be obtained include: tissue culture, an offset (anthuriums replicate themselves naturally sometimes and a shoot will form from the stem of the plant), and a cutting (when a part of the stem is cut that has a node, so leaves can eventually grow from it).

While Anthurium papillilaminum is only found in Panama, there’s noticeable variation in how different wild plants look. These aren’t officially classified as different types, but growers often group them by where they were collected or how they look.

Since so many natural variations and types of papillilaminums have existed for decades, unfortunately it’s hard to know if specific specimens on the market are pure paps or if their origins can be properly tracked.

Papillilaminum ecotypes

The ecotypes Portobelo and Guna Yala listed below are a bit mystifying as we probably know the least about them of all the ecotypes. There are also few vendors that actually sell the non-hybridized forms.

As mentioned earlier, there was a mass poaching event for Guna Yala paps, and it’s entirely possible that this ecotype no longer exists in the wild.

Lago Gatún

Photo Credit: @imaplantkeeper.

Lago Gatún is a classic form of the species, known for its velvet, dark green, oval-shaped leaves and pillowy texture. The lobes are typically taller and more rounded compared to other forms, and while the undersides of the leaves show some reddish tinting, they are generally not as dark as the Canal forms. 

The naming convention for this ecotype is often anthurium papillilaminum LG.

Canal Zone

Originating from the regions near the Panama Canal, this ecotype encompasses both the famous Ralph Lynam and Fort Sherman clones. Typically, Canal paps appear with an elongated and narrower shape, wide sinus, and a very dark green colour. Prominent orange-coloured veins tend to also be a main characteristic, which often shows up in unknown hybrids, making it easy to identify a Canal pap being one of the parent plants.

Portobelo

Photo Credit: @vivero_amazonas.

This is probably the most rare ecotype, and it offers a more classic leaf pap leaf shape, sometimes displaying a narrow sinus with overlapping lobes.

Coclé

Photo Credit: @imaplantkeeper.

It presents with very rounded lobes that tend to overlap compared to the Lago Gatún ecotype. Its overall leaf shape is oval with a pillowy texture.

Guna Yala

The Guna Yala ecotype is best identified by its rounded leaf shape, narrow sinus with possible overlapping lobes, and pillowy texture.

Papillilaminum clones

Fort Sherman

Originally collected in the 1980s, Fort Sherman (named after the former military base at the northern end of the canal) is a classic elongated Canal ecotype clone. It features narrow, dark green leaves with tall bunny ear lobes.

Ralph Lynam 

Named after the horticulturist who first brought this form into cultivation, Ralph Lynam is similar to Fort Sherman but often exhibits a flatter sinus and reddish prominent veins.

RLFS

Photo Credit: @imaplantkeeper.

This is a cross between Ralph Lynam and Fort Sherman, and is very popular. It tends to display a wide sinus with prominent veining, often reddish from the Ralph Lynam.

Dadbod

Dadbod offers large proportions, with a classic pap shape and nice bullate texture.

Long x Long Bullet

This cross is exactly how it sounds; long and slender leaves with tall lobes and a short sinus, giving it an elongated oval shape.

Notable papillilaminum hybrids

Hybrids are a whole other beast. They’re a cross-pollination between two different anthurium species and, of course, contain the genetics from both parent plants.

Since hybrids are created via pollination, they’re produced from seed. A seed batch from a single pollination could contain as much as hundreds of seeds. Unlike clones, there won’t be a single pair of plants from this seed batch that will be identical and overall may range significantly in their appearance.

Papillilaminum probably takes the cake in being the most hybridized anthurium. It seems like every week, someone’s created a new hybrid with it. Why? Not only do you get the dark and velvety leaf genetics, but also one of the shortest gestation periods of around 2-3 months—comparing that to 6+ months (or often longer than a year) many anthurium species are succumbed to. It’s also part of section Cardiolonchium, which contains so many species that paps are able to hybridize easily with.

The hybrids listed below are some of the most notable ones:

• Papillilaminum × warocqueanum: a more slender version of pap, with sprawled out veining, and tending to be devoid of its pillowy texture
  
• Papillilaminum × luxurians: produces large, dark, bullate leaves with minimal veining
  

Anthurium papillilaminum x luxurians. Photo Credit: @urb4n_gr33n.

• Papillilaminum × dressleri: produces very round, quilted leaves that can sometimes be very dark
  
• Papillilaminum × crystallinum: this tends to look very crystallinum-y, but usually darker and slightly more bullate
  

Anthurium papillilaminum x crystallinum. Photo Credit: @ivan_has_a_new_plant_again.

• Papillilaminum × ace of spades: dark and slightly quilted leaves with minimal-faint veining
• Papillilaminum x carlablackiae: very dark and velvety, with a quilted texture and prominent point at the sinus where the veining meets (geniculum)
  
• Papillilaminum × red velvet cake: produces dark and daggery shaped leaves with bold, red emergents
  
• Papillilaminum × michelle: creates specimens with very bold veining and dark leaves
  
• Papillilaminum x subsignatum: very dark and daggery, with a quilted texture and short, wide sinus
• Papillilaminum × silver blush: typically dark with small lobes, medium-high veining, and a rounded leaf shape
  
• Papillilaminum × magnificum: the leaves tend to be velvety with an oval-shape, and a very narrow sinus with lobes that often overlap—a common magnificum trait

Anthurium papillilaminum x magnificum.

• Papillilaminum × besseae aff: tends to blend nicely together, enhancing pap’s quilted texture and resulting in a high velvet specimen
  
• Papillilaminum × forgetii: comes out with either a fused or non-fused sinus that’s dark and velvety, with a bullate texture
• Papillilaminum x antolakii (BVEP): this hybrid often looks pretty extraordinary, with oval-shaped leaves that are incredibly dark and quilted 
• Papillilaminum x portillae: easily inherits traits from both, with a wide and short sinus and a daggery leaf shape
• Papillilaminum x regale: presents similarly to a pap, except it tends to have a more wide leaf with prominent veining
• Papillilaminum × king of spades: dark leaves with a unique shape and veining structure similar to king of spades

Anthurium papillilaminum x king of spades. Photo Credit: @unique_leaves_lover.

• Papillilaminum x rugulosum: this hybrid inherits the pebbled texture from rugulosum and velvety pap lends its velvety trait to this hybrid

Anthurium papillilaminum care guide

The natural habitat of anthurium papillilaminum gives us clues as to how you can give it the most optimal care at home. Care is something that’s very easy to overdo, but it really is so simple once you get it set up and on a schedule.

TL;DR: 

Here are the basic needs for anthurium papillilaminum:

• Light: low-medium, no direct sun
  
• Water: keep consistently moist, but not waterlogged
  
• Humidity: 70–85%+ preferred (40% tolerable)
  
• Temperature: 18–30°C ideal, short dips to 10–13°C okay
  
• Substrate: chunky and airy (no soil), with some moisture-retaining amendments
  
• Fertilizer: every watering (¼–½ strength), or full strength every 2–3 weeks

Watering and substrate

Forget the advice that says you need to wait until the substrate is bone dry before watering. That doesn’t work for this anthurium, and it’s not how it lives in the wild either. It experiences moisture 24/7 in its native environment, positioned at the base of humid forests with dense moss and near-daily rain. It receives natural airflow and drainage around its roots, so it’s also not sitting in pure water. 

When it comes to substrate and watering frequency, you want to go with consistent hydration with air pockets around the roots. The wrong substrate can really hinder papillilaminum’s growth if done incorrectly. Don’t use standard potting soil as it’s too compact, and prevents airflow around the roots trapping too much water.

You’ll want to aim for this type of mix:

• Chunky materials for airflow (60-90%): orchid bark, perlite, pumice, lava rock
  
• Moisture retention: coco coir, small amount of sphagnum moss
  
• A layer of leca or similar material at the bottom of your pot for increased drainage

Keep in mind this is by no means an exhaustive list and most substrate amendments will work, as long as there’s airflow and water easily exits the pot. The substrate, of course, needs to be placed in a pot with drainage holes. You can also add a top moss collar around the base of your pap’s stem to encourage rooting.

Here’s what determines how often you should water:

• If your substrate is very chunky and you’re using moderate to high light, you’ll likely water every 2–5 days
  
• If you’re in lower light or using a more moisture-retentive mix, it could be closer to once a week
  
• Temperature also plays a role. Higher heat means substrate dries faster, and in turn increases watering needs

The biggest thing to understand is that watering frequency is directly tied to how quickly your mix dries. So based on this, you can really fine tune the amendments of your substrate based on how often you want to water and what works for your schedule.

Ensuring your substrate remains moist in between waterings, though, is crucial for the long-term health of papillilaminum. This is especially true if it’s exposed to higher light during the day. 

Drying out too much between waterings often causes leaves to yellow, slow its growth, and even abort new leaf shoots. If the dryness continues for long periods, it can even cause an issue known as dry rot whereby the roots have dehydrated too much and they die (but they still sort of look normal-ish, just deflated). If dry rot is left unchecked and continuously exposed to dry periods, then it can potentially kill your plant.

On the flip side, you’ll pretty much avoid regular rot with fast-draining and airy substrate.

Humidity

Papillilaminum requires humidity on the higher end as it helps them absorb CO₂ which is critical for photosynthesis, and to also cool them down by retaining more water in their leaves. They can be acclimated to lower ambient humidity (depending on where you live), but it’s unlikely to thrive.

Around 40-50% humidity is on the lower end, and this just means your pap may experience slowed growth, crispy leaf edges, and emergent leaves that don’t upsize (or even get smaller).

Based on its native range in Panama, we know that 70-85% humidity is best for its health. This is where you’ll see it push out big leaves, grow consistently, and stay looking pristine.

Here’s how you can increase humidity:

• The easiest way is of course through the use of a humidifier, and this will work best if located in a smaller room
• If you can keep it inside a tent or some type of enclosed space, this will be easiest for maintaining a high humidity level
• Keep it away from cold windows, heaters, or AC vents, which dry out the air fast
• Don’t bother with misting the leaves/surrounding air unless it’s in an enclosed space. You can, however, mist the top of the substrate but that’s more-so for encouraging rooting

Light

Anthurium papillilaminum evolved under the thick canopy of Panama’s rainforests with limited sunlight. It developed dark and velvety leaves to help it absorb light in response to receiving so little. Although it thrives in low light, it can surprisingly be adapted to medium light as well over time.

What different light intensities do:

• Low light: this is where a pap develops its signature dark green colouring and helps to maintain pristine and well-developed leaves
  
• Medium light: a pap will probably shoot out leaves that are lighter in colour, and it can cause leaf yellowing/crisping depending on the light intensity. But, it can potentially lead to faster growth (as long as the intensity is not too high; this will probably be a bit of trial and error)
  

If you’re looking to supplement with artificial lighting, something like the Barrina bars are very affordable, attainable options that lots of anthurium collectors use.

Keep your pap out of direct sun, and instead, ensure it only gets indirect light. Indirect light means it’s positioned in a spot that is still illuminated but is not at all in contact with direct sun. This could look like placing it beside a window or in front of a north-facing window. Monitoring its response and adjusting light intensity/your plants distance from the light source accordingly will be the best course of action for maintaining its overall health.

Fertilization

Papillilaminum requires essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. If left unfertilized for a long time, its health will likely decline.

How often you should fertilize:

A couple of different methods can be employed here if you have your anthurium potted up in regular substrate. They either like a diluted dose of liquid fertilizer of around ¼-½ every watering, or a full dose (following the dose on the packaging) every 2-3 weeks.

Papillilaminums don’t need a rest period from fertilizer in colder months as this will just slow their growth, and you can continue to feed them throughout fall and winter. This is especially important if they’re more exposed to consistent artificial light or otherwise live in a warmer/tropical climate.

Substrate should also be flushed about once a month with unfertilized water to prevent salt buildup, which can dehydrate the root system.

Recommended fertilizers and additives:

Fertilizers are typically labeled with three numbers, such as 3-1-2 or 10-10-10, and these are what represent the ratio of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Each plays a different role in plant health—nitrogen supports leaf and stem growth, phosphorus helps with root development and flowering, and potassium boosts overall resilience, including disease resistance.

For a pap, nitrogen is especially important because it fuels chlorophyll production and supports its foliage development. So, you’ll either want to use a fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen for leaf development, or high in phosphorus (but one that still contains nitrogen) if you’re trying to encourage flower development.

Here are some fertilizers and additives we recommend:

• Superthrive Foliage-Pro 9-3-6: this is one of the best fertilizers because it’s pretty accessible and it contains additional micronutrients like calcium and magnesium. These are frequently missing from other fertilizers but are essential for plant health
• Superthrive Bloom (3-12-6): a phosphorus-heavy option if you’re seeing inflorescences and want to support flowering
  
• Kelp or seaweed extracts: an additive to your fertilizer to encourage root stimulation while adding some additional micronutrients
  
• Humic acid: another additive that increases nutrient uptake and stress tolerance, and has been shown to be especially effective at increasing a plant’s overall size when used in combination with kelp extract