ABSTRACT:

A total of 146 Anthurium species and hybrids from sections Belolonchium, Calomystrium, Cardiolonchium, Chamaerepium, Dactylophyllum, Leptanthurium, Oxycarpium, Pachyneurium, Porphyrochitonium, Semaeophyllium, Tetraspermium and Urospadix was evaluated for floral fragrance. Type of fragrance, time of emission, daily occurrence and developmental stage of scent emission were recorded along with the color of spathe and spadix and the environmental conditions. A majority of plants emitted scent: 68% of the species and 80% of the hybrids were fragrant. Fragrance was categorized as citrus, fishy, floral, foul, fruity, menthol, minty, pine, spicy, and sweet. There was no correlation between scent production or quality with flower color or botanical section. A plurality of plants emitted scent during the morning only (45%) and at the pistillate stage (77%). Detection of fragrance depended upon ambient temperature and relative humidity. Fragrance life of unharvested inflorescences varied from 3 days up to 4 weeks, whereas that of harvested inflorescences was short, only 1 or 2 days. First generation progeny analyses from 22 crosses between non-fragrant and fragrant parents indicated that multiple genes likely govern the presence of scent in Anthurium.