Anthurium Start PageContentsKEY CKEY E

KEY D

Leaves cordate or subcordate. epunctate, simple.

la. Plants scandent and twining or at least with long, slender stems with elongate internodes, held erect usually by rooting onto or being supported by trees.

 

2a. Stems 2-4 mm diam., usually several meters long, twining, flexible; internodes with many short roots; sea level to 1,000 m.... A. flexile Schott

2b. Stems 5-15 mm diam., usually 1 m or less long, usually stiffly erect often supported by a tree, not twining; internodes lacking roots; roots long, relatively thick, few, restricted to the nodes; usuallv 1,200-1,300 m.

 

3a. Leaf blades more than twice as long as broad.

 

4a. Posterior lobes less than one-eighth as long as anterior lobe; blades not conspicuously bullate.

 

5a. Blades widest in lower third or even at the base; usually more than 2-5 times longer than broad; widespread, Mexico to Ecuador..........A. microspadix Schott

5b. Blades usually widest at the middle or just below the middle, usually 1.5-2 times longer than broad; rare (at least in Panama), Panama and Colombia...........A. myosuroides (H.B.K) Endl.

4b. Posterior lobes ca. one-fourth as long as anterior lobe; blades conspicuously bullate............A. niqueanum Croat

3b. Leaf blades less than twice as long as broad.

 

6a. Spathe less than 4 times longer than broad; spadix less than 8 times longer than broad at base.

 

7a. Spadix yellow-green at anthesis; leaf blades slightly bullate; cataphylls persisting intact; spathe green..........A. davidsoniae Standl.

7b. Spadix pink to lavender at anthesis; leaf blades not bullate; cataphylls subpersistent more or less intact; spathe white.

 

8a. Anterior lobe of leaf blade ca. 1.5 times longer than posterior lobes; vine; spathe ovate to obovate, less than 2.2 times longer than broad..........A. sapense Croat

8b. Anterior lobe of leaf blade ca. 3 times longer than posterior lobes; erect plant with long internodes near the base; spathe lanceolate, more than 2.6 times longer than broad..........A. erythrostachyum Croat

6b. Spathe more than 5 times longer than broad; spadix more than 10 times longer than broad at base.

 

9a. Leaf velvety above, drying with honeycombed texture; endemic to Cerro Jefe..........A. folsomianum Croat

9b. Leaf not velvety above.

 

l0a. Blades drying blackish green; spadix yellowish at anthesis..........A. hutchisoniiCroat

l0b. Blades drying brown; spadix creamy white at anthesis..........A. leptocaule Croat

1b. Plants not scandent; internodes short.

 

11a. Spadix uniformly purplish (to reddish) at anthesis.

 

12a. Leaf blades lacking a posterior rib (i.e., the basal veins not joined before meeting at midrib at base).

 

13a. Leaf blades more than 3 times longer than broad, with basal lobes less than one-eighth as long as the anterior lobe; spadix pinkish to yellowish..........A. chromostachyum Croat

13b. Leaf blades less than 2 times longer than broad with prominent basal lobes at least one-fifth as long as the anterior lobe; spadix violet purple.

 

14a. Leaf blades thin with 8-10 pairs of primary lateral veins; cataphylls weathering to subpersistent fibers; spadix more than 10 cm long, more than 10 times longer than broad..........A. williamsii K- Krause

14b. Leaf blades subcoriaceous with 3-5 pairs of primary lateral veins; cataphylls persisting more or less intact; spadix less than 10 cm long, less than 6 times longer than broad..........A. tysonii Croat

12b. Leaf blades with a distinct posterior rib (i.e., some of the basal veins joined together before meeting at the midrib at base).

 

15a. Leaf blades more than 2 times longer than broad.

 

16a. Leaf blades more or less thin; spathe oblong-lanceolate; spadix usually less than 6 mm diam. at base; berries purplish.......... A. cuspidatum Mast.

16b. Leaf blades subcoriaceous; spathe usually lanceolate to narrowly ovate, spadix more than 8 mm diam. at base; berries orange.

 

17a. Blades drying reddish brown; the basal veins usually 8-10 per side; spadix long-tapered, 24-40 times longer than broad; Darien Province..........A. brownii Mast.

17b. Blades drying green to yellow-green; the basal veins usually fewer than 7 pairs; spadix usually less than 20 times longer than broad (rarely more in A. nervatum); Chiriquí to Colon Provinces.

 

18a. Spadix with pistils sharply pointed and early emergent, usually emerging well ahead of stamens, giving spadix a prickly appearance during anthesis; spathe usually with margins markedly undulate..........A. colonicum K. Krause

18b. Spadix with pistils usually bluntly pointed or rounded at apex, not early emergent, usually emerging with or after stamens, the flowering spadix thus not prickly in appearance; spathe sometimes twisted but not markedly undulate.

 

19a. Primary lateral veins 19-25 pairs; berries usually acute at apex..........A. nervatum Croat

19b. Primary lateral veins 4-9 pairs; berries rounded at apex.

 

20a. Cataphylls 8-13 cm long; spathe usually erect, usually ovate to ovate-lanceolate (rarely lanceolate), reflexed but usually not twisted or curled...... A. cotobrusii Croat & Baker

20b. Cataphylls 16-32 cm long; spathe lanceolate, usually twisted or rolled..........A. ranchoanum Engl.

15b. Leaf blades less than 2 times longer than wide.
 

21a. Collective vein arising from one of the lowermost basal veins.

 

22a. Spathe oblong, more than 5 times longer than broad, green; leaf margins markedly concave; berries red..........A. rubrifructum Croat

22b. Spathe narrowly ovate to ovate or elliptic, less than 5 times longer than broad, white; leaf margins convex; berries purplish or white.

 

23a. Spathe more or less elliptic to obovate, ca. 1.5 times longer than broad, caudate-acuminate at apex; berries white; blade with anterior lobe ca. 2 times longer than posterior lobes. ........................... A. sapense Croat

23b. Spathe narrowly ovate to narrowly oblong-elliptic, more than 2.5 times longer than broad, acuminate at apex; berries purplish; blade with anterior lobe ca. 3 times longer than posterior lobes.

 

24a. Leaf blade ovate-triangular, the margin of the anterior lobe more or less straight to slightly concave; blades drying matte..........A. obtusilobumSchott

24b. Leaf blade ovate, the margin of the anterior lobe usually con-vex; blades drying weakly glossy........... A. formosum Schott

21b. Collective vein not arising from one of the lowermost basal veins (i.e., lower-most basal veins running free to the margin).

 

25a. Spadix at anthesis less than 10 times longer than broad at base, usually scarcely tapered to apex.

 

26a. Spadix at anthesis less than 5 times longer than broad.

 

27a. Spadix at anthesis more than 2 times longer than broad; spathe hooding spadix; top ofCerro Jefe..........A. kamemotoanum Croat

27b. Spadix nearly globular, less than 2 times longer than broad; spathe erect-spreading; western Chiriquí..........A. globosum Croat

26b. Spadix at anthesis more than 5 times longer than broad.

 

28a. Peduncle less than 1.5 times longer than spadix; cataphylls weathering into subpersistent fibers; blades very large, mostly more than 55 cm wide..........A. antonioanum Croat

28b. Peduncle more than 2 times longer than spadix; cataphylls persisting more or less intact at least at apex; blades less than 55 cm wide.

 

29a. Spathe caudate-acuminate at apex; spadix pinkish.

 

30a. Blades coriaceous, drying thick; stems usually short, the internodes very short, usually hidden by cata-phylls; Cerro Jefe.........A. roseospadix Croat

30b. Blades subcoriaceous, drying thin; stems elongate, the internodes often long, brown, cane-like, not hidden by cataphylls; Serrania de Pirre..........A. erythrostachyum Croat

29b. Spathe acuminate, the acumen not markedly elongate: spadix white to violet purple.

 

3la. Leaf blades less than 30 cm long, less than 20 cm wide, drying matte, the collective vein arising from the first basal vein which departs the midrib at ca. 45 deg. and soon curves upward so the collective vein at middle of blade is very remote from the margin..........A. foreroanum Croat

31b. Leaf blades mostly more than 35 cm long and 25 cm wide, drying semiglossy, the collective vein arising from the first or second basal vein, nearly reaching margin before curving upwards..........A. formosum Schott

25b. Spadix at anthesis more than 11 times longer than broad at base, markedly tapered to apex or very long and slender.

 

32a. Petiole more or less quadrangular, winged; blades drying with major veins acutely raised beneath, the midrib sharply 3-ribbed beneath: endemic to Bocas del Toro..........A. teribense Croat

32b. Petiole more or less terete; blades drying with major veins not acutely raised, the midrib not sharply 3-ribbcd beneath.

 

33a. Peduncles less than 1.5 times longer than spadix..........A. rotundistigmatum Croat

33b. Peduncles more than 2 times longer than spadix.

 

34a. Stamens long-exserted, remaining long-exserted, the an-thers not retracting to the edge of the tepals.

 

35a. Blades ovate-triangular to sub-3-lobed, the posterior lobes often longer than broad; usually below 2,000 m..........A. watermaliense Hort. ex L. H. Bailey

35b. Blades narrowly ovate, the basal lobes about as long as broad; above 2,000 m..........A. concinnatum Schott

34b. Stamens not long-exserted or soon retracting to edge of tepals.

 

36a. Inflorescence usually longer than the leaves: tertiary veins drying prominent on both sides..........A. brownii Mast.

36b. Inflorescence equalling to shorter than the leaves; tertiary veins drying more or less obscure to prominulous.

 

37a. Blades with 10 or fewer primary lateral veins per side; plants terrestrial.

 

38a. Spadix lavender with a green tip; petiole faintly many ribbed; berries purple. ................ A. pluricostatum Croat & Baker

38b. Spadix purplish throughout or green tinged purple; petiole terete; berries orange..........A. standleyi Croat & Biker

37b. Blades usually with 12 or more primary lat-eral veins per side; plants epiphytic or terrestrial.

 

39a. Leaf blades less than 62 cm long ally drying green with reddish tinge along and on major veins on lower surface; pistils early emergent..........A. cuspidatum Mast

39b. Leaf blades often more than 65 cm long, drying pale green or more or less reddish brown throughout; pistils not early emergent.

 

40a. Blades drying thin, yellowish green, usually with the upper-most 2 or 3 basal veins not merging before meeting at midrib..........A. dukei Croat

40b. Blades drying coriaceous, reddish brown, with only the uppermost basal vein not merging with the other basal veins before meeting at midrib. ............A. brownii Mast.

11b. Spadix not uniformly purplish or reddish as anthesis.
 

41a. Leaf blades more than twice as long as broad.
 

42a. Spadix at anthesis less than 10 times longer than broad at base; cataphylls subpersistent, remaining more or less intact ( weathering at base only in A. cotobrusii).
 

43a. Spadix white at anthesis, hooded by spathe; blade with lower surface densely and minutely dark dotted. ..........A. cucullispathum Croat

43b. Spadix green, yellow, or tinged with purple.
 

44a. Leaf blades ca. 3 times longer than broad; cataphylls subpersistent, reddish brown, more or less intact; pistil emerging without ribs. ...............A. chromostachyum Croat

44b. Leaf blades less than 2.5 times longer than broad; cataphylls subpersistent, tan, weathering at base; pistils emerging quadrangular with 4 ribs running from the center to the corners. ...............A. cotobrusii Croat & Baker

42b. Spadix at anthesis more than 10 times longer than broad at base; cataphylls remaining intact or weathering into subpersistent fibers.
 

45a. Petioles ribbed.
 

46a. Petiole more or less quadrangular, the margins weakly winged ( at least when dried ); blades drying with major veins acutely raised beneath the midrib sharply 3-ribbed; endemic to Bocas del Toro. ...........A. teribense Croat

46b. Petioles more or less with several low ribs; blades drying with major veins obtusely raised beneath, the midrib not prominently ribbed; Veraguas to Darien. .....................A. panamense Croat

45b. Petioles not ribbed, more or less terete, usually sulcate adaxially.
 

47a. Cataphylls thick, deciduous intact, not weathering into fibers; leaf blades more than 2.5 times longer than broad.
 

48a. Leaf blades broadest above the base, more than 3.5 times longer than broad, more than 50cm long; basal veins free to the base, not coalescing into a posterior rib. .................A. hebetatum Croat

48b. Leaf blades broadest at base, less than3 times longer than broad, less than 41 cm long; basal veins usually coalescing to form a posterior rib.
 

49a. Leaf blades coriaceous, drying with tertiary veins conspicuously raised; 7-9 flowers visible in each spiral. ................A. cinereopetiolatum Croat

49b. Leaf blades moderately thin, drying with tertiary veins not prominently raised; 4-5 flowers visible in each spiral. .................A. chorranum Croat

47b. Cataphylls moderately thin, weathering into subpersistent fibers or fragments; leaf blades less than 2.5 times longer than broad ( except sometimes A. cuspidatum).
 

50a. Plants epiphytic; leaf blades moderately bullate, at least the major veins prominently sunken above; collective vein formed from one of the lowermost basal veins. .................A. niqueanum Croat

50b. Plants terrestrial; leaf blades not bullate; collective vein usually formed from the uppermost basal vein ( rarely loop-connected from the lower basal veins in A. ochranthum ).
 

51a. Blades velvety on upper surface; spadix green at anthesis with 4 flowers visible in each sprial from any angle. ................................ A. papillilaminum Croat

51b. Blades not velvety; spadix green turning bright yellow at anthesis with 6-10 flowers visible in each sprial. ......................A. ochranthum C. Koch

41b. Leaf blades less than twice as long as broad.
 

52a. Petiole conspicuously ribbed or angled; usually terrestrial; berries purple at apex, white at base.
 

53a. Petiole triangular, the margins 1-2-winged; blade not velvety above; pollen orange. ..............A. cerrocampanense Croat

53b. Petiole subterete with 4-7 ribs; blades velvety above; pollen white. ................A. dressleri Croat

52b. Petiole not ribbed, not angled; usually epiphytic; berries various colors.
 

54a. Blades velvety green with pale venation on upper surface; spadix yellow..........A. crystallinum Linden & Andre

54b. Blades not velvety (except A. folsomianum ), not with markedly paler venation on upper surface; spadix white, green, or yellow.

 

55a. Spadix yellow at anthesis.

 

56a. Spadix less than 4 cm long, with usually ca. 3 flowers visible in each spiral; leaf blades less than 25 cm long; stem less than 1 cm diam..........A. pauciflorum Croat

56b. Spadix more than 4 cm long at anthesis, with 5 or more flowers visible in each spiral; leaf blades usually more than 25 cm long; stems more than 1 cm diam.

 

57a. Leaf blades ovate-cordate, the margin broadly rounded; the posterior lobes directed backward or inward.......... A. coloradense Croat

57b. Leaf blades ovate-triangular to panduriform, the outer margin usually concave where the posterior lobes begin, the posterior lobes directed outward or backward.

 

58a. Dried blades shiny beneath; blades panduriform, with more than 6 primary lateral veins per side; the posterior lobes either suborbicular or elongated and directed prominently outward; berries pale green..........A. panduriforme Schott

58b. Dried blades matte beneath; blades mostly ovate-tri-angular, rarely panduriform, with 4-6 primary lateral veins per side; the posterior lobes triangular to elongate and rounded and directed downward or slightly out-ward..........A. ochranthum C. Koch

55b. Spadix white or green at anthesis.

 

59a. Cataphylls persisting intact, thick, reddish brown; spadix usually white at anthesis; blades mostly ovate-cordate, coriaceous, usually drying with linear raphide cells visible at least on upper surface.

 

60a. Spadix more than 17 times longer than broad, prominently tapered toward apex.

 

61a. Leaf blades drying black or greenish black, usually more than 50 cm long; spadix yellow-green, more than 25 cm long at anthesis..........A. colonense Croat

61b. Leaf blades not drying blackened, mostly less than 50 cm long; spadix white at anthesis, mostly less than 25 cm long at anthesis..........A. curvispadix Croat

60b. Spadix less than 15 times longer than broad at anthesis, mostly blunt and scarcely tapered to apex.

 

62a. Spadix pale green at anthesis, less than 5 times longer than broad; spathe less than 2.5 times longer than broad ..........A. fusiforme Croat

62b. Spadix white at anthesis, more than 5.5 times longer than broad; spathe more than 2.5 times longer than broad.

 

63a. Spathe brittle, thin, abruptly short-acuminate: leaf blade with primary lateral veins beneath dry-ing reddish brown..........A. ravenii Croat & Baker

63b. Spathe coriaceous, not brittle, long-acuminate: leaf blade with primary lateral veins beneath not drying reddish brown.

 

64a. Leaf blades matte beneath when fresh, usu-ally less than 55 cm long; plant usually ter-restrial; berries violet purple at apex, paler at base.......... A. sanctifidense Croat

64b. Leaf blades glossy beneath when fresh, size various; plants usually epiphytic.

 

65a. Leaf blades mostly more than 55 cm long; spadix white at anthesis, quickly turning pale violet purple with early emergent, sharply pointed pistils: ber-ries violet purple, at least at apex..........A. formosum Schott

65b. Largest leaf blades less than 55 cm long; spadix white at anthesis, re-maining creamy white, the pistils not early emergent; berries red..........A. hoffmannii Schott

59b. Cataphylls not persisting intact, moderately thin, either deciduous or weathering into subpersistent fibers (rarely persisting more or less intact but not reddish brown); spadix white or green; blades ovate-cordate, thin or thick, mostly lacking visible linear raphide cells when dry.

 

66a. Collective vein arising from one of the lowermost basal veins.
 

67a. Spadix with more than 10 flowers visible in each spiral, the stamens prominently exserted at anthesis, the pistils early emergent; leaf blades ovate with convex margins..........A. caperatum Croat & Baker

67b. Spadix with less than 7 flowers visible in each spiral, the stamens not long exserted, the pistils not early emergent; leaf blades ovate-triangular with more or less straight margins or more or less panduriform with con-cave margins.

 

68a. Plants terrestrial; spadix long-tapered, usually be-coming golden yellow at anthesis with the pollen oozing from beneath the tepals..........A. ochranthum C. Koch

68b. Plants epiphytic; spadix long-tapered or not, green, with anthers exposed and bearing pollen.

 

69a. Leaf blade panduriform, the margin markedly concave between the anterior and pos-terior lobes; tertiary veins not prominent on lower surface..........A. rubrifructum Croat

69b. Leaf blade ovate-triangular, the margin more or less straight; tertiary veins prominent on lower surface..........A. malianum Croat

66b. Collective vein arising from one of the uppermost basal veins.

 

70a. Plants terrestrial.

 

7la. Spathe usually purple; stamens prominently exserted, remaining exserted; leaf blades with pos-terior lobes usually more than 1.5 times longer than broad......... A. watermaliense Hort. ex L. H. Bailey

71b. Spathe green; stamens not prominently exserted or if so, soon retracting; leaf blades with posterior lobes mostly broader than long.

 

72a. Margin of blade usually straight to concave; pollen oozing from beneath tepals; berries dark purplish at apex, white at base..........A. ochranthum C. Koch

72b. Margin of blade usually convex; anthers exserted; berries orange (not known in A. coloradense).

 

73a. Collective vein arising from the first basal vein or from one of the primary lateral veins; spadix with 5-10 flowers visible in each spiral..........A. standleyi Croat & Baker

73a. Collective vein arising from the third basal vein; spadix with ca. 5 flowers visible in each spiral..........A. coloradense Croat

70b. Plants epiphytic.

 

74a. Spadix pale green, turning purplish; spathe mod-erately coriaceous, persisting intact; fruits orange; cataphylls promptly weathering to fibers; above 2,000 m in western Panama..........A. concinnatum Schott

74b. Spadix maroon; spathe moderately thin, soon damaged or fallen; fruits red; cataphylls (at least uppermost) remaining intact; below 1,600 m in eastern Panama..........A. dukei Croat