International Aroid Society

28. Syngonium salvadorense Schott, Oesterr. Bot. Z. 8:178. 1858. TYPE: El Salvador, Santa Anna, Wendland s.n. (P-, not seen; drawing of type by Schott 3231, NYBG Negative 4331 seen).

S. donnell-smithii Engler, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 37:141. 1905. LECTOTYPE: Guatemala, Escuintia, Escuint-la, 1100 ft, Donnetl Smith 2782 (B, lectotype; M, isolectotype)

Juvenile plants with stems glaucous; internodes 5-20 cm long, less than 1 cm thick; petioles 12-25 cm long, glaucous, sheathed beyond the middle (sometimes more than ^o their length); blades usually hastate, sometimes sagittate, 9-19 cm long, 5.5-11 cm wide, the anterior lobe equilateral or inequilateral, often constricted at the base, the posterior lobes inequilateral, usually longer than broad; intermediate blades becoming larger, more conspicuously hastate-lobed, mostly 20-30 cm long, the lobes ovate to broadly ovate, directed markedly outward, eventually becoming pinched off. Adult plants with stems glaucous, frequently scandent; internodes 3-14 cm long, 1-2 cm diam., olive green when young, the periderm tan, thin and cracking; petioles slightly paler than the stems, 18-42 cm long, sheathed '^-^ their length, obtusely ribbed above the sheath, the sheath free-ending and acute at the apex; blades trisect to sub-5-sect, the lobes usually confluent to almost free, the median lobe broadly ovate to ovate-elliptic, 14-28 cm long, 8-18 cm wide, acuminate at the apex, rounded at the base, the lateral lobes ovate, unequal, usually not auriculate, sometimes with hastate auricles, rarely the auricles nearly pinching off to form a nearly 5-lobed blade; primary lateral veins 2-5 pairs, mostly arising in the lower half of the blade, slightly sunken on the upper surface, raised beneath; tertiary veins clearly visible on the
lower surface.
Inflorescences 1 or 2 per axil; peduncles 9-18 cm long and more or less erect in flower, 9-25 cm long and pendent in fruit; spathe tube ellipsoid, 4-5 cm long, 3-4 cm diam., green outside, the inside reddish at the base, greenish near the apex; spathe blade broadly ovate, 7-10 cm long, 4-5 cm wide, greenish outside, the inside white, abruptly cuspidate at the apex; pistillate portion of the spadix 1.5-2.5 cm long, 1-1.5 cm diam., greenish, the flowers with stigmas bilabiate; the staminate portion of the spadix white, clavate, 5-7 cm long, 1-1.5 cm diam., the synandrium irregularly 6-sided, flat at the apex with no sign of fusion, the margins weakly scalloped.
Infructescences red orange to red, often massive, 9-12 cm long, 6-8 cm diam.; syncarp brown, to 8 cm long and 5 cm diam.; mesocarp sweet, fleshy, white; seeds black, ovoid-ellipsoid, 8-12 mm long, 4-6 mm diam. Fig. 67.

DISTRIBUTION: Syngonium salvadorense ranges from southwestern Mexico (Chiapas) along the western coast of Guatemala to El Salvador. It occurs principally in tropical moist forest from sea level to 700 m.
The species is not confused with any other but resembles S. neglectum in having large and often solitary inflorescences.
The species is a conspicuous plant in disturbed areas and often grows in great profusion, to the exclusion of most other epiphytic plant species, on the shade trees in coffee plantations in Guatemala.
Flowering inflorescences have been found in February and August. Fruits are mature mostly in July and August.

EL SALVADOR: AHUACHAPAN: NE of San Francisco Menendez, Croat 42074 (MO), Padella 324 (US). SAN SALVADOR: No other location, Calderdn 924 (US); Vicinity of San Salvador, Renson 268 (NY, US); Tonacatepeque, Calderon 2273 (GH, US). SONSONATE: Vicinity of Sonsonate, Standley 22320, 22337 (GH, NY, US). SAN VINCENTE: Vicinity of San Vineente, Standley & Padella 3745, 3746, 3798 (F).
GUATEMALA: ESCUINTLA: No other location, Smith 2782, 2783, 2238 (B, NY, US); Escuintia, Standley 89211, 89311 (F); Finca Cuyuta, Smith 2235, 2238 (US); San Jose, Standley 64081, 64200 (F); Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa, Kellerman 5266 (MEXU, US), Standley 63442 (F). RETALHULUE:
Finca Las Delicias near Retalhulue, Standley 88044 (F); Vicinity of Retalhulue, Standley 66788, 87259, 87294, 87400, 88278 (F); San Felipe, Smith 2781 (US); SANTA ROSA: Cuilapa, Standley 77982 (F); Near Guazacapan, Standley 78640, 78965, 78974, 79038, 79055 (F); N of Las Cerritos, Standley 79562, 79579a (F). SUCHITEPEQUEZ: Vicinity ofMazatenango, Croat 43758 (MO), Standley 88865 (F), White 5184 (F, MICH); Vicinity of Tiquisate, Steyermark 47707 (F, US).
MEXICO: CHIAPAS: Vicinity of Escuintia, Croat 43867, 47533 (MO), Matuda 16512 (F, MEXU, MICH, NY), 77695, 17881 (DS, F, MEXU, NY), 17792 (DS, MEXU), 17858, 17937, 17970 (MEXU), 18715 (MEXU, US), 37675 (DS); Vicinity of Finca Prusia, Breedlove 38652 (DS); NW of Huixtia, Breedlove & Smith 22534 (DS); NE of Huixtia, Breedlove 30921 (DS); Pueblo Nuevo Solistahuacan, Matuda 17831 (MEXU); SE ofTonala, Breedlove 25638 (DS); Vicinity ofTuxtIa Gutierrez, Breedlove 37771 (DS).