Philodendron pirrense Croat, sp. nov.

TYPE: Panama. Darién: Cerro Pirre, middle slopes on western approach, 800--1050 m, 7E56'N, 77E45'W, 29 June 1988, Croat 68952 (holotype, MO--3610823--24; isotypes, B, COL, F, K, NY, PMA, US). Figures 301--305.

Hemiepiphytic or sometimes terrestrial; stem to 5 cm long; internodes short, semiglossy, closely ribbed, completely enclosed in cataphyll fibers, 1--2 cm long, 4--5 cm diam.; roots to ca. 30 cm long, drying reddish brown, smooth, semiglossy, ca. 2 mm diam., closely ridged; cataphylls 25--30 cm long, sharply 2-ribbed (ribs prominently raised), reddish, drying reddish brown, persisting semi-intact, ultimately as coarse pale fibers with fragments of reddish brown epidermis; petioles 56.5--100 cm long, 5--8 mm diam., subterete, somewhat flattened near base, weakly flattened toward apex, with faint medial rib adaxially, surface densely short-lineate; blades broadly ovate-cordate, acuminate to narrowly acuminate at apex, cordate at base, 35--58 cm long, 27--46 cm wide (1.2--1.5 times longer than wide), (0.6--0.9 times longer than petiole), upper surface drying reddish brown, semiglossy, lower surface much paler; anterior lobe 24.5--48.5 cm long, 27--50 cm wide (1.7--2.3 times longer than posterior lobes); posterior lobes more or less rounded, 12.5--19 cm long, 12.5--23.5 cm wide, broadly obtuse; sinus hippocrepiform, 14 cm deep; midrib flat, paler than surface above, drying reddish brown below; basal veins 7--11 per side, with 0--1 free to base, 1--2 coalesced (4)6--8(10) cm, posterior rib well developed, naked for 1--5 cm; primary lateral veins 6--10 per side, departing midrib at a 55--65E angle, more or less straight to the margins, prominently sunken above, prominently raised below; interprimary veins distinct, fine, mostly continous, drying darker than surface below; minor veins arising from both the midrib and primary lateral veins. INFLORESCENCES 4 per axil; peduncle 8.5--12 cm long, 6--8 mm diam., prominently white striate, clearly demarcated from spathe; spathe 12--16.7 cm long (1.3--1.5 times longer than peduncle), moderately constricted above the tube; spathe blade green, tinged maroon, conspicuously and densely pale lineate-striate outside, white, tinged maroon inside; spathe tube red-maroon, inconspicuously short-lineate outside, 4--6 cm long, dark maroon inside; spadix sessile; more or less ovate, 11--13.4 cm long, broadest below the middle; pistillate portion greenish white, 2.7 cm long, 1.4 cm diam. at apex, 1.3 cm wide at base; staminate portion 10.8 cm long; staminate portion 5.7--8.3 cm long; fertile staminate portion white, tapered toward apex, 1.4 cm diam. at base, 1.3 cm diam. at middle, 8 mm diam. ca. 1 cm from apex, broadest at base, about as broad as pistillate portion; sterile staminate portion broader than the pistillate portion 1.4--1.5 cm diam. pistils 2.5 mm long, 1.2--1.4 mm diam.; ovary 5--6-locular, 1.7 mm long, 1.3 mm diam., with axile placentation, walls embedded with granular, crystal-like particles; locules 1.7 mm long, 0.4 mm diam.; ovules 20 per locule, 2-seriate, contained within gelatinous matrix (no true envelope), 0.2--0.3 mm long, longer than funicle; funicle 0.1--0.2 mm long, style 0.3 mm long, 1.3 mm diam., similar to style type B; style apex flat; stigma subdiscoid to slightly hemispheroid, weakly lobed, 1.2 mm diam., 0.1--0.3 mm high, covering entire style apex; the androecium truncate, prismatic, oblong, margins irregularly 4--6-sided; thecae oblong, 0.5 mm wide, more or less parallel to one another; sterile staminate flowers blunt, irregular, 4--6-sided, 2.1--3 mm long, 1.7 mm wide. Berries white.