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Anthurium monteverdense Croat & Baker,

Brenesia 16 (Supl. 1); 62. 1979. TYPE: Costa Rica. Puntarenas: Monte Verde Biological Preserve (operated by the Tropical Science Center), Kennedy 582 (F, holotype).

Epiphyte, to 1.5 m tall; stems thick, moderately short, the internodes very short; cataphylls thick, persistent, drying reddish-brown.

LEAVES with petioles terete, 29-50 cm long, 6-8 mm diam.; geniculum moderately obscure, to 4 cm long; blades coriaceous, ovate, broadest just below the middle, acuminate and downturned at apex, conspicuously lobed at base, 29-50 cm long, 18.5-34 cm wide; the anterior lobe 22-36 cm long, the margins broadly convex; the posterior lobes 7-12 cm long; sinus spathulale to hippo-crepiform, longer than broad, rounded at apex; upper surface semiglossy with sparse, ± obscure, raphide cells, lower surface sparsely and obscurely dark dotted; the midrib raised above and below; primary lateral veins 3-5 per side, departing midrib at 40°-50° angle, ± straight until near the margin, then prominently arcuate-ascending and joining the margin; basal veins 5-6 pairs, 2-4 of them coalesced 1.5-4 cm, arcuate and joining the margin, ± loop-connecting the secondary veins; posterior rib prominently curved, naked for most of its length, turned up along its outer margin; collective vein arising from the uppermost 1 or 2 primary lateral veins.

INFLORESCENCE shorter than leaves; peduncle 35-40 (100) cm long, 6-8 mm diam.; spathe coriaceous, white, broadly ovate, 8-10(17.5) cm long, 5-6 (8.5) cm wide, acuminate-cuspidate al apex, rounded at base, broadest at or slightly below middle, held erect, inserted al ca. 45° angle on peduncle; spadix green to creamy yellow or yellowish-tan, 5.5-14.5 cm long, 1-2.2 cm diam.; flowers rhombic to weakly 4-lobed, 2-2.2 mm long, 2.2-2.5 mm wide (dry); 10-12 flowers visible in either spiral; the lateral tepals 1.2-1.3 mm long, the inner margin broadly convex; pistil and stamens not studied.

INFRUCTESCENCE not seen.

The species is apparently endemic to the mountains in west central Costa Rica at elevations of 1,400 to 1,600 m, in the Provinces of Alajuela and Puntarenas in lower montane moist and premontane wet forest.
Anthurium monteverdense belongs in the section Calomystrium and is closely related to A. hoffmannii, but that species differs in having an ovate-lanceolate spathe.
 
 Map of Mesoamerican specimens with coordinates

Costa Rica Alajuela: 1300-1450 m, 10.18N 84.47W, 9 June 1985, Michael H. Grayum 5361 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 1450 m, 10.22N 84.52W, 1 JUL 1986, William A. Haber ex Eric Bello C. 5149 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 1540 m, 10.21N 84.48W, 20 August 1988, William Haber & Willow Zuchowski 8617 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: Monteverde Reserve, 1500-1550 m, 10.18N 84.48W, 18 July 1992, Ingram & Ferrell-Ingram 1551 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 1700 m,, 24 August 1985, William A. Haber 2390 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 1700 m,, 24 August 1985, William A. Haber 2365 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 1700 m,, 24 August 1985, William A. Haber 2389 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 1500-1600 m,, 7 sept. 1985, William A. Haber & Eric Bello C. 2622 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 1500-1620 m,, 13 July 1984, Willow Z. Pounds 481 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas:, 5 Oct 1970, Kennedy, H. 582 (MO).