7. Syngonium dodsonianum Croat, sp. nov. TYPE: Ecuador, Los Rios, Rio Pa lenque Biological Station, km 56 along the road between Santo Domingo and Quevedo, 150-200 m, Dodson & Gentry 10063 (MO-2742909, holotype; SEL, isotype).

Planta hemiepiphytica; caudex ca. 2.5 cm diam., internodiis apice 1-2 cm diam., 1-2 cm longis; lamina simplex, tenuis, atrovirida; venis lateralibus utroque latere 10-13, rubris, in vallibus; venis tertiariis distinctis in sicco. Inflorescentia solitaria-; spathae tubus ellipticus, pallide aurantiacus, apice constrictus; spathae lamina pallide aurantiaca.

Hemiepiphytic creeper; stems 2.5 cm diam.; internodes 1-2 cm long near the apex, drying brown with close longitudinal wrinkles; petioles 45-73 cm long, sheathed ca. 2/3 their length, the upper part subterete, the sheath 8-10 cm high, free-ending at the apex; blades simple, ovate, acute to abruptly acuminate at the apex, conspicuously lobed at the base, 42-53 cm long, 23-31 cm wide, thin, dark green (drying dark olive green, papyraceous), the anterior lobe 30-35 cm long, not at all constricted toward the base, the posterior lobes directed downward or slightly inward, acutely rounded at the apex, sometimes unequal, sometimes weakly constricted near the apex; midrib flat at the base, becoming weakly sunken toward the apex (at least on drying); primary lateral veins 10-13 pairs, reddish, in deep valleys; tertiary veins fine, close, distinct (at least on drying); basal veins 3-5 pairs, 3 of them coalesced 3-5 cm; posterior rib naked 2.5-3 cm, directed straight to the tip of the posterior lobe; primary collective vein 3-8 mm from the margin, weakly loop-connecting the primary lateral veins. Inflorescences solitary(-); peduncles ca. 9 cm long, 5-8 mm diam. (dried); spathe ca. 15 cm long; spathe tube ovoid-oblong to oblong-elliptic, 6.5-7.5 cm long, orange red, prominently constricted at the apex; spathe blade light orange red to yellow orange with reddish veins, acuminate at the apex; spadix ca. 11.5 cm long; pistillate portion of the spadix grayish, 2-2.5 cm long, 6-10 mm diam. on drying, weakly constricted at the apex, ca. 2 mm long, 1-1.5 mm diam.; staminate portion of the spadix creamy white, the sterile staminate portion ca. 2 cm long, constricted gradually toward the apex, drying 2-3 mm long, 1.5-3 mm diam., the sterile staminate portion broadest in the lower 1/3, gradually tapered to the apex, drying ca. 1.3 cm diam., the flowers more or less trapezoidal, the margins weakly crenate, the apex weakly depressed medially with no sign of fusion of the anthers. Infructescences not known. Fig. 7.

DISTRIBUTION: Syngonium dodsonianum is known only from the type locality at the Rio Palenque Biological Station, a region of tropical wet forest at 150-220 m in western Ecuador. It is to be expected throughout the band of wet forest in western Ecuador and perhaps also in Colombia. The species is most closely related to S. crassifolium with which it is sympatric. It differs from that species by the characters outlined in the key.

Flowering collections have been made during March and September.

Ecuador: LOS RIOS: Rio Palenque Biological Station, Dodson & Gentry 10063 (MO, SEL).