Agricultura no. 1 – 2 (105-106)/2018 Agriculture - 60 - THE IMPROVEMENT OF ANTHURIUM ANDREANUM ASSORTMENT WITH VARIETIES CULTIVATED IN POTS Maria Cantor 1 , Roxana Alexandra Sabo 1 , Denisa Jucan 1 , Erzsebet Buta 1* 1 University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Mănăștur Street 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; *Corresponding author: erzsebet.buta@usamvcluj.ro Abstract. Anthurium andreanum Lind. is an ornamental plant that is widely appreciated around the world primarily for cut flower and secondary as a perennial plant growing in pots. In recent years acquired an important place in the collections of ornamental plant cultivars in our country due to the large number of varieties occur worldwide, varieties of very many forms and colors and are well adapted to our flats. In recent years enrichment assortment with new varieties and hybrids of ornamental plants is a constant activity for the promotion and marketing innovations in order to obtain high income. This paper presents the behavior of six new cultivars of Anthurium andreanum which is suitable as pot plant, cultivars were imported from Holland and were studied in 2017, at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca. Of these varieties were made observations and measurements on the main morphological traits: flower stalk length and leaf length, number of leaves, spathe breadth, length of spathe, and number of flowers per plant. Data were processed using statistical calculation by analysis of variance, LSD test and also, were analyzed the coefficients of variability. Significant differences among cultivars were noted for all characteristics evaluated. Cultivar `Baleno` had the highest average number of flowers and `Alpine` recorded significant deviations above average on most of the characters experience. Through present studies it is noticed that these cultivars can be used as pots plants because of them attractive flowers and foliage. Keywords: Anthurium andreanum, cultivars, houseplant, morphological characteristics INTRODUCTION In the last decades due to the existance of a wide range of ornamental plants and the knowledge of cultivation technology, indoor plants became the most widespread passions. In any home the family environment is warmer, more agreeable and more restful with plants (Toma, 2009). Anthurium andraeanum, commonly called flamingo lily or painter’s palette, is native to Columbia and Ecuador. It is an epiphytic evergreen tropical perennial of the Araceae family that is most noted for its attractive waxy, palette-shaped, bright red spathes and contrasting dark green foliage (12). In the past this plant was particularly known as a cut flower, but in recent years it is increasingly appreciated as a potted plant due to the special elegance, to the contrast between the dark color of the leaves and the brightly color of the flowers and the large number hybrids appeared on world, hybrids that have many shapes and colors which can be grown in apartments (Anton et al., 2007). Anthurium ranks ninth in the global flower trade and commands a respectable price both for its cut flower and whole plant (Islam et al., 2013). In Romania the Anthurium andreanum soil cultivation was practiced until 1989 at the Research Station for Fruit Production Cluj and then it was abandoned because of the high heating costs. Also, researches have been carried out until 1990 at the Research Institute for Floriculture at the Berceni laboratory Bucharest (Cantor, 2017). Anthurium develops well in rooms with eastern or southern spaces, with full light. A weak light will have the effect of reducing the number of flowers or the absence of flowering; as well can induce the leaves deformation.