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Anthurium ovandense Matuda,

Anales Inst. Biol. Univ. Nac. Mexico 30: 113-115, Fig. 7. 1960. TYPE: Mexico. Chiapas: Municipio Escuintia, Cerro Ovando (north of town of Escuintia) 1,400 m elev., Matuda 32769 (MEXU, holotype). Note: Type description lists Matuda 32768 as the type but the only specimen found at MEXU is numbered 32769.

 
Anthurium ocoiepecense Matuda, Anales Inst. Biol. Univ. Nac. Mexico 27: 345, Fig. 4. 1957. TYPE:Mexico. Oaxaca: Cerro de Larion, Santo Tomas, Ocotepec, MacDougall 321 (MEXU, holotype (?) not seen).


Epipetric or terrestrial to 1 m tall; stems 10-30 cm long, 2-3 cm diam.; leaf scars 2-2.7 cm wide; roots numerous, 5-6 mm diam., scurfy, brown; cataphylls green, 8-11 cm long, narrowly rounded at apex (acumen with subapical apicu-lum), drying tan, weathering at base into coarse fibers, remaining intact at apex.

LEAVES erect-spreading; petioles terete, 29-75 cm long, 5-8 mm diam., weakly glaucous; geniculum 1.8-2 cm long, sometimes narrowly sulcate; blades narrowly-triangular, chartaceous, narrowly acuminate at apex, lobed at base, 18-53 cm long, 12-26 cm wide, broadest at base, the margins undulate to subcrispate; anterior lobe 14-38 cm long; posterior lobes 5.5-18 cm long; the sinus usually hippocrepiform, sometimes somewhat broader than deep; both surfaces matte to semiglossy with numerous linear raphide cells obscurely visible when fresh, clearly visible when dry; midrib weakly and convexly raised above and below, sunken at apex above; basal veins 4-5 pairs, the fourth and fifth coalesced 4-5.5 cm, raised above and below; primary lateral veins 5-10 per side, sunken above, raised below; inter-primary veins sunken above, flat below; collective vein arising from the uppermost basal vein, 8-27 mm from margin.

INFLORESCENCE erect to pendent; peduncle 32-72 cm long, 4-5 mm diam., terete; spathe green, subcoriaceous, lanceolate, 5-7.5 cm long, 1.5-2.4 cm wide, cuspidate-acuminate at apex, truncate to weakly clasping at base; stipe to 2.5 cm long in front, to 2.2 cm long in back; spadix green, 5-11 cm long, 6-9 mm diam.; flowers rhombic, 3-4 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide, the sides straight to weakly sigmoid; 4-7 flowers visible in the principal spiral, 2-4 flowers visible in the alternate spiral; tepals glossy with abundant sticky droplets; pistils weakly raised; stigma linear, 0.5 mm long; stamens emerging rapidly from base, held in tight cluster over pistil; filaments white, translucent, retracting; anthers pale yellow; thecae ovoid, slightly divaricate; pollen pale yellow.

INFRUCTESCENCE pendent; berries red, subglobose, usually developing only in lower one quarter of spadix. Fig. 129.

Anthurium ovandense is endemic to Mexico in southern Oaxaca and Chiapas in moist forest at elevations of 800 to 1,600 m. The species is a member of section Belolonchium and is characterized by its usually epi-petric habit, its thin narrowly ovate leaf blades with conspicuous posterior lobes, naked, gradually curved posterior rib, and an anterior lobe that is concave and generally undulate along the margins. The species is similar to A. umbrosum from northern Oaxaca in generally much wetter areas and also to A. lezamae mostly from central Chiapas but both of these species are characterized by having their anterior lobe distinctly convex. Matuda 37655, a sterile collection made at the type locality of A. andresloviense Matuda, was identified as that species by Matuda, but it is probably best placed with A. ovandense. It differs from typical A. ovandense in that the blade dries relatively more glossy on the upper surface and in having a distinct constriction at the base of the anterior lobe. Although the type of A. ocotepecense was not seen, the illustration of the type appears to indicate that it is a synonym of A. ovandense. The type locality was not determined. Although I investigated part of the Municipio of Ocotepec and found it extremely arid, perhaps there may be other parts of the region that are more mesic. I was unable to locate a "Cerro de Larion" at Santo Tomas where the type was collected. The region where the type of A. ocotepecense was collected is substantially to the north of other collections.


 

 

Map of Mesoamerican specimens with coordinates

Mexico Chiapas: 1400 m, 15.27.6N 92.38W, 21 August 1996, Thomas B. Croat 78549 (CM, MO, US).
Mexico Mexico: 1600 m.,, 25 Apr. 1956, Matuda 32729 (MEXU).
Mexico Oaxaca:, 1967, MacDougall 715 (MEXU).
Mexico Oaxaca: 1200 m.,, 20 June 1969, Matuda 37655 (MEXU).
Mexico Oaxaca: 1340 m,, 20 Jan 1979, Thomas B. Croat 46164 (B,C,CAS,CM,DUKE,F,GB,GH,K,KYO,M,MEXU,MO,NY,PMA,RSA,S,SSAR).