Did you know the first anthurium was discovered in Costa Rica as far ago as 1857 by a doctor, Karl Van Scherzer! Later in 1870, another variety of anthurium was discovered by a French botanist – Eduard Andre during an expedition to the Westside of the Andes in Columbia and Equador. One breed, locally called Nagaphani was discovered in Konkan too. Today, anthuriums are available in a wide range of varieties. As many as 900. Yes, they are so fascinating that world over floriculturists and genetic engineers are engaged in breeding more and more varieties of anthuriums using genetic engineering techniques.