Anthurium Start PageContentsAnthurium protensum var. arcuatumAnthurium purpureospadix
Anthurium pseudospectabile Croat, sp. nov.

TYPE: Panama. Chiriquí: along road between Gualaca and Forluna Dam site, 8.3 mi. NW of Los Planes dc Homito, 1,260 m, virgin forest, 82°16'W, 8°44'N, Croat 49942 (MO 2769003-005, holotype; PMA, isotype; Live at MO).

Plania plerumque pendula epiphytica; cataphyllum subcoriaceum; basi findens, fibris, apice persistens intactum; petiolus subteres, complanatus ad leviter lateque sulcatus adaxiale, interdum obtuse quadrangulalus, 14-60 cm longus; lamina modice coriacea, oblonga ad oblongo-elliptica, basi obtusa ad rotundata,65-150cmlonga, 12-45 cm lata, nervis primariis lateralis usque 40; inflorescentia effusa; pedunculus teres ad leviler quadrangulatus, 13-36 cm longus; spatha coriacea, pagina inferiore viridis, pagina superiore tinc-ta purpurea, lanceolata, plerumque tona aut circinata, 10-32 cm longa, 2.5-7 cm lata; spadix scssilis, flavovirens aut viridis, 15-38 cm longus, praecox emergenti pistillo; baccae aurantiacae, oblongo-ellipsoideac, 10-12 mm longae.

Usually pendent epiphyte; stems less than 30 cm long, 2-5 cm diam.; leaf scars 2-4 cm wide; roots few, thick, ca. 6 mm diam.; cataphylls subcoriaceous, 31-37 cm long, more or less rounded to obtuse at apex, with subapical apiculum to ca. 4 mm long, drying tan, splitting to fibers at base, the apex persisting intact.

LEAVES pendent; petioles subterete, flattened to weakly and broadly sulcate adaxially to bluntly 4-sided, 14÷60 cm long, 7-12 mm diam.; geniculum 1-3 cm long; blades moderately thick, oblong to oblong-elliptic, gradually acuminate at apex, obtuse to rounded at base, 65-150 cm long, 12÷45 cm wide, broadest at middle or just below; upper surface matte to semiglossy, lower surface semiglossy, only slightly paler than upper surface; midrib flat to obtusely raised near base above, diminishing toward apex, convexly raised below; primary lateral veins up to 40 per side, departing midrib at 35-40° angle, straight or weakly arching to collective vein, raised above and below, conspicuously paler than surface; interprimary and secondary veins less conspicuous, flat; collective vein arising near the base, 2-3 mm from margin, raised above and below.

INFLORESCENCE spread-ing-pendent; peduncle terete to weakly quadrangular, the margins blunt, 13-36 cm long, 5-9 mm diam., equalling to one and a half times longer than petioles; spathe moderately thick, green on lower surface, heavily tinged purple on upper surface, lanceolate, 10-32 cm long, 2.5-7 cm wide, broadest near the base, gradually acuminate at apex, rounded to cordate at base, inserted al 45-60° angle on peduncle, usually twisting or coiling; spadix sessile, yellowish green to green, 15-38 cm long, 8-12 mm diam. at apex, 3-5 mm diam. at base, narrowly tapered toward apex; flowers rhombic, ca. 3.5 mm long, 2.7-3 mm wide, the sides straight to weakly sigmoid, 4÷7 flowers visible in the principal spiral, 6-9 flowers visible in the alternate spiral; tepals matte, minutely papillate, lateral tepals 1.8-2 mm wide, the inner margins convex, turned up against pistil; pistils early emergent, pale green; stigmas linear, ca. 0.6 mm long, tinged purplish; stamens emerging more or less rapidly from base, exserted on filament ca. 0.3 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide; anthers white, held around pistil in a loose cluster; thecae oblong, scarcely divaricate; pollen white.

INFRUCTESCENCE pendent; berries orange, early emergent, oblong-ellipsoid, 10-12 mm long, 5-6 mm diam. Figs. 151 and 152.

Anthurium pseudospectabile is endemic to Chiriquí Province in western Panama (Fortuna Dam area) at 1,250 to 1,500 m in a region that is probably premontane wet or premontane rain forest.

The species is a member of section Pachyneurium and is distinguished by its pendent habit and its elongate, many-veined blades with undulate margins. Also characteristic are its short-pedunculate inflorescence with a spreading, usually twisted and contorted green to purple spathe, its weakly protruding tepals, its exserted stamens, its early emergent pistils, and its orange berries.

Anthurium pseudospectabile is closely related to A. spectabile Schott from central Costa Rica to Nicaragua, but the latter is distinguished by having proportionately broader leaf blades, which generally lack the undulate margins and a petiole that is markedly quadrangular in cross-section.


 

Map of Mesoamerican specimens with coordinates

Panama Bocas del Toro: Fortuna Dam Area, 590 m, 8.46N 82.14W, 10 March 1985, Croat & Grayum 60203 (CM, MO).
Panama Bocas del Toro: Fortuna Dam Area, 1200 m, 8.44N 82.17W, 11 March 1985, Croat & Grayum 60339 (CM, MO).
Panama Bocas del Toro: Fortuna Dam Area, 1200 m, 8.44N 82.17W, 11 March 1985, Croat & Grayum 60363 (MO, PMA, RSA).
Panama Bocas del Toro: 910 m., 8.44N 82.17W, 12 Mar. 1985, Croat & Grayum 60446 (MO).
Panama Bocas del Toro: Cerro Colorado, 1220-1250 m, 8.35N 81.45W, 13 April 1986, Gordon McPherson 8853 (MO).
Panama Bocas del Toro: Fortuna Dam Area, 1250 m, 08.45N 82.15W, 5 September 1987, Gordon McPherson 11626 (MO).
Panama Bocas del Toro: Fortuna Dam Area,, , Correa et al. 2664 (PMA).
Panama Bocas del Toro: Fortuna Dam Area, 1000 m, 8.48N 82.12W, 5 Feb. 1984, H.W. Churchill, G. de Nevers & H. Stockwell 4647 (MO).
Panama Bocas del Toro: Fortuna Dam Area, 1000 m, 8.48N 82.12W, 5 Feb. 1984, H.W. Churchill, G. de Nevers & H. Stockwell 4648 (MO, PMA).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1330 m,, 9 July 1980, António 5022 (MO).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1200-1400 m,, 7 June 1980, Folsom et al. 8220 (MO, PMA).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1200-1400 m,, 15 Sept. 1977, Folsom et al. 5516 (MO).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area,, 20 March 1978, Hammel 2080 (MO, PMA).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area,, 6 May 1976, Mendoza 336 (MO, PMA).
Panama Chiriquí: Vivero Forestal de Boquete, 1200 m, 8.43N 82.14W, 17 June 1982, Knapp & Vodicka 5496 (B, MO).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1400-1600 m,, 15 Sept. 1977, Folsom et al. 5607 (B, MO, VEN).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1300 m, 8.44N 82.16W, 9 Apr. 1980, Thomas B. Croat 49930 (B, K, MO, NY, SEL, W).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1400 m,, 26 Nov. 1979, Thomas B. Croat 48674 (B, CAS, CM, COL, DUKE, F, K, MEXU, MO, NY, PMA, RSA, UC, US, VEN).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1370 m, 8.43N 82.15W, 8 Apr. 1980, Thomas B. Croat 49851 (CM, MO).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1400 m,, 28 Nov. 1979, Thomas B. Croat 48777 (MO, US).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1300 m,, 27 Nov. 1979, Thomas B. Croat 48732 (MO).
Panama Chiriquí: Vivero Forestal de Boquete, 1200-1300 m, 8.45N 82.12W, 9 May 1982, Knapp 4962 (MO).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1260 m, 8.44N 82.16W, 9 Apr. 1980, Thomas B. Croat 49942 (B, K, MO, NY, PMA, SEL).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1400 m,, 22 Nov. 1979, António 2773 (MO, PMA)
. Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1100-1135 m, 8.43N 82.17W, 8 March 1985, Croat & Grayum 60072 (K, MO).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1100-1200 m., 8.45N 82.18W, 21 Jun. 1987, Croat 66592 (MO).
Panama Chiriquí: Fortuna Dam Area, 1300 m,, 27 Nov 1979, Thomas B. Croat 48737 (MO).