Anthurium wendlingeri G

Anthurium wendlingeri G. M. Barroso,

Bol. Soc. Venez. Ci. Nat. 26: 151. 1965. TYPE: Costa Rica. Cartago: Turones (Pavones), Turrial-ba, 700 m, Wendlinger s. n. (RB, holotype).

Pendent epiphyte; stems ca. 20 cm long; cataphylls drying brown, weathering into coarse, persistent, longitudinal fibers; petioles terete, (5-)8- 30 cm long, 2-4 mm diam.; blades oblong, moderately thick, 32-80 cm long, 3-11 cm wide, round to truncate at base. Inflorescence spreading to pendent; peduncle 13÷42 cm long, 3÷7 mm diam.; spathe moderately thin, pale green tinged purplish, more or less oblong, 7-11 cm long, 8-13 mm wide; spadix pale green to white or grayish white, straight when young, becoming spiralled in age, 12-80 cm long, 3-5 mm diam. at base; berries reddish, more or less oblong or globose, ca. 5 mm long, flattened at apex with a central depression; seeds 1-4 (usually 4). See Croat (1983: 411) for a more complete description.

The species ranges from Costa Rica to Panama; Panamanian plants considered A. wendlin-geri range from Veraguas in the west to Code, Panama, and Col—n Provinces on the Atlantic slope and along the Continental Divide in tropical wet and premontane rain forest at elevations of 350 to 900 m.

The species is in section Porphyrochitonium and is distinguished by coriaceous, oblong, glandular-punctate leaf blades, a very elongate, whitish, corkscrew-like spadix, and reddish berries. The blades are weakly velvety and obscurely punctate above and below.

It is most easily confused with Anthurium pendens, which occurs in similar habitats in Col—n and Panama. The latter, however, has oblanceolate blades that are broadest above the middle, acute at the base, and dry markedly blackened with the primary lateral veins departing the midrib at 10-20° angle. In contrast, A. wendlingeri has oblong blades that are not broadest above the middle, are rounded to truncate at the base, and dry green with the primary lateral veins departing the midrib at 30-40° angle. An additional difference between the two species is the inflorescence, which in A. pendens is short and erect with a straight pinkish spadix (turning greenish brown before anthesis).
Map of Mesoamerican specimens with coordinates

Costa Rica Alajuela: 375 m, 10.19.00N 84.11.00W, 18 August 1990, Michael Grayum & Noriaki Murakami 9945 (MO).
Costa Rica Alajuela: 850-1100 m, 10.4N 84.32W, 30 May 1986, Greg de Nevers, Barry Hammel & Carlos Gomez 7787 (MO).
Costa Rica Lim—n: 400 m, 10.02N 83.27W, 5 September 1988, Michael Grayum, Gerardo Herrera & Rafael Robles 8807 (MO).
Costa Rica Lim—n: 700-900 m, 9.27.00N 82.59.30W, 9 July 1989, Barry Hammel, A. Chacón, F. Corrales & G. Herrera 17614 (MO).
Costa Rica Lim—n: 550 m, 9.25.15N 82.59.00W, 20 July 1989, Gerardo Herrera 3320 (MO).
Costa Rica Lim—n: 0-1450 m, 09.23.58N 83.06.00W, 12 March 1992, Heidi Schmidt & Reinaldo Aguilar 651 (MO).
Costa Rica Lim—n: 850 m, 09.14750"N 83.10530"W, 05 Apr 1989, Herrera et. al 2510 (CR, MO).
Costa Rica Lim—n: P.N. Cordillera de Talamanca; 1700 m, 09.23.20N 83.12.20W, 28 March 1993, Alvaro Fernandez 860 (CR).
Costa Rica Lim—n: Río Costa Rica, 250 m, 10.25.5N 83.52.00W, 15 Feb 1989, Horich, C. s.n. (CR).
Costa Rica Lim—n: 250 m,, March 1990, Thomas B. Croat 71837 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas:, 31 May 1986, Christenson 1525 (MO).
Costa Rica San José: 1100-1200 m, 09.33.30N 84.03.15W, 5 September 1996, Thomas B. Croat 78902 (MO).
Nicaragua Río San Juan: 100 - 250 m, 11.01N 084.13W, 5 Enero 1997, Ricardo Rueda, Indiana Coronado, Oscar Aráuz & Franklin Flores 5384 .
Panama Bocas del Toro: 850 m, 08.48N 82.13W, 29 March 1993, Thomas B. Croat 74925 (MO).
Panama Bocas del Toro: 175 m, 8.46N 82.16W, 25 June 1987, Thomas B. Croat 66821 (MO).
Panama CoclŽ: 200-400 m,, 3 Feb. 1983, C. Hamilton & G. Davidse 2659 (MO).
Panama CoclŽ: 800-900 m, 8.38N 80.09W, 12 July 1987, Thomas B. Croat 67181 (MO, WU).
Panama Darien: 1300-1400 m, 08.04.30N 77.14.00W, 21 octubre 1987, Hermes Cuadros, B. Hammel, G. deNevers y H. Herrera 3950 (MO).
Panama Panamá: 700-750 m, 9.15N 79.25W, 19 June 1988, Thomas B. Croat 68678 (MO,SCZ).
Panama Panamá: 750 m, 9.15N 79.30W, 23 Jan. 1986, Gordon McPherson & M. Merello 8130 (MO).
Panama San Blas: 350 m, 9.15N 79.00W, 27 Jan. 1986, Gordon McPherson & M. Merello 8173 (MO). Panama San Blas: 60-100 m, 9.24N 79.08W, 28 Jan 1985, Greg de Nevers 4705 (MO).
Panama San Blas: 325 m, 9.19N 78.35W, 28 Aug. 1984, Greg de Nevers 3781 (MO).