Carlablackiae Anesthesia (Anes.) #1

Rory Antolak (RA), wild-collected and unnumbered → Brian Wu, cataloged among his “OG Wu” clones → Brian Simono → AnesthesiaPlanter, renamed Carlablackiae (Anes.) #1. This clone was sold before Rory Antolak began assigning numbers to his Carlablackiae collections. Brian Wu later acquired several clonal cuttings of Rory’s unnumbered plants and referred to them collectively as “OG Wu.” This specimen predates Carlablackiae Wu 1 and Wu 2 and should not be confused with either numbered clone. Scott Cohen has theorized that the original plant from which this clone was taken may later have been designated RA4 by Rory. That connection remains unconfirmed and is preserved here only as a theory—not as part of the plant’s verified provenance.

The history of this plant is more convoluted than most. It began as an unnumbered, wild-collected Carlablackiae from Rory Antolak. From Rory, a clonal cutting passed to Brian Wu, who grouped it with several other unnumbered Rory clones under the name “OG Wu.” It was subsequently sold to Brian Simono under that designation, and I later acquired it from Brian and cataloged it as Carlablackiae (Anes.) #1. Its new leaves emerge remarkably dark—often appearing nearly black—and retain that color for an unusually long time. As the leaf matures, it settles into a deep black-green velvet while preserving much of its brooding character. Strong ivory primary veins create a clean framework across the blade, with a pronounced collective vein tracing the margin and finer secondary veins remaining restrained in the background. The shape is just as compelling as the color. Broad, rounded upper lobes frame a narrow, deeply cut sinus, while the blade tapers smoothly into a defined point. Its proportions have shifted slightly as the plant has matured, but the overall silhouette has remained consistently balanced and distinctive.

This has become one of the staple Carlablackiae in my collection. It is vigorous, dependable, and consistently beautiful. It has also proven to be an exceptional seed parent: it accepts nearly every pollen I place on it and regularly produces generously sized seed batches. That generosity comes with plenty of work, as every batch must be carefully grown, evaluated, and culled to retain only the most promising offspring. Its nearly black emergents, ivory venation, and reliable shape have attracted plenty of admirers, but its performance as a breeding plant is what makes it truly indispensable to me. Despite its complicated history, (Anes.) #1 has never disappointed and continues to become more impressive with every new leaf.