Philodendron purulhaense Croat, sp. nov.
TYPE: Guatemala. Alta Verapaz: El Progreso--Cobán, on Hwy. CA-14, 2-3 mi. S of Purulhá, 1500--1720 m, 15E13'S, 90E12'W, 21 July 1977, Croat 41752 (holotype, MO--2582045; isotype, GUAT). Figures 321--323, 325--326.
Planta hemiepiphytica aut raro terrestris; internodia brevia, usque 6 cm diam.; cataphylla 20--30 cm longa, 2-costata, acute D-formata, persistentia semi-intacta; petiolus subteres, aliquantum spongeosus, obtuse complanatus adaxialiter, 32--52 cm longus, 1.5--2 cm diam.; lamina ovata vel ovato-cordata, 25--48 cm longa, 18.5--40 cm lata, in sicco atribrunnea vel nigrescens; nervis basalibus liberis ad basim; inflorescentia 1; pedunculus 2.5--7 cm longus; spatha 10--17 cm longa; lamina spatha extus viridi, breve lineata; intus viridi; pistilla 6--7-locularia; loculi 13--20-ovulati.
Hemiepiphytic or rarely terrestrial, growing 3--6 m high in trees; stem appressed-climbing, or creeping; internodes short, semiglossy, to 6 cm diam., broader than long, dark green, epidermis intact; roots moderately dense, drying dark brown, ca. 3 mm diam.; cataphylls 20--30 cm long, 2-ribbed, sharply D-shaped, persisting semi-intact with brownish fibers at upper nodes; petioles 32--52 cm long, 1.5--2 cm diam., subterete, somewhat spongy, obtusely flattened adaxially, surface semiglossy, short-lineate, usually drying brown to blackened; blades ovate to ovate-cordate, subcoriaceous, slightly bicolorous, acute to acuminate at apex, cordate at base, 25--48 cm long, 18.5--40 cm wide (1.2--1.97 times longer than wide), (0.6--0.98 times the petiole length), about equal in length to petiole, upper surface somewhat silvery, semiglossy, lower surface drying dark brown to blackish; anterior lobe 20--38 cm long, 18.7--38 cm wide (2.1--3.1(3.6) times longer than posterior lobes); posterior lobes rounded, 7--17 cm long, 8--17 cm wide; sinus usually hippocrepiform, 12 cm deep; midrib flat, slightly paler than surface above, convex, paler than surface below; basal veins 4--7(8) per side, with all free to base, third and higher order veins coalesced 1.5--4 cm long; posterior rib naked for 1.5 cm; primary lateral veins 3--6 per side, departing midrib at a 35--40E angle, more or less straight to the margins, sunken above, convex and paler than surface below; minor veins moderately distinct below, arising from both the midrib and primary lateral veins. INFLORESCENCES 1 per axil; peduncle 2.5--7 cm long, 8--10 mm diam., whitish streaked; spathe 10--17 cm long (2.4--3.4(4) times longer than peduncle), constricted slightly above the tube, more or less ellipsoid; spathe green, short-lineate outside, reddish purple throughout inside; spathe tube 5 cm long, spadix sessile; 10--13 cm long; pistillate portion 4--4.5 cm long, 1.7--2.3 cm diam. at base, 2--2.7 cm diam. midway, 1.7--1.9 cm diam near apex; staminate portion 8--8.5 cm long; fertile staminate portion 1.8--2 cm diam. at sterile staminate portion, usually much broader than pistillate portion at anthesis, weakly tapered toward apex, scarcely or not at all constricted above the sterile portion, 1.4--1.8 cm diam. midway, 11--12 mm diam. 1 cm from apex, bluntly acute at apex; sterile staminate portion not very obvious, ca. 1.3 cm long, abruptly contracted at base, as broad as or narrower than the pistillate portion; pistils 6.2 mm long, 3.4 mm diam.; ovary 6--7-locular, 5 mm long, 3 mm diam., with axile placentation; locules 5 mm long, 1 mm diam.; ovules 13--20 per locule, somewhat transparent, 1 mm long, much longer than funicle; funicle 0.2 mm long, adnate to lower part of partition, style 1 mm long, 3 mm diam., similar to style type D; style apex more or less rounded; style boss broad, pronounced; stigma 1--1.1 mm diam.; the androecium truncate, oblong, prismatic, margins irregularly 4--5-sided, 1 mm long, 2--2.5 mm diam. at apex. INFRUCTESCENCE with pistillate spadix 4.5--5 cm long, 3--4 cm diam.; berries 1 cm long, 4 mm diam.; seeds 6--8 per locule, oblong-ellipsoid, 2.2--2.5 mm long, 0.7--0.9 mm diam., sticky.
The flowering phenology in Philodendron purulhense is poorly known. No flowering collections have been made, and only one post-anthesis collection is known (July), but immature fruiting collections are known from March, July, September, October, and November. This might suggest that the species flowers throughout at least a substantial part of the rainy season and perhaps also in the dry season (December through April).
Philodendron purulhense ranges from southern Mexico (Chiapas) to Guatemala (Alta Verapaz) and Honduras (Cortés and Olancho), at 1360 to 1870 m elevation in Tropical Lower Montane wet forest and Premontane wet forest life zones.
Philodendron purulhense is a member of P. sect. Philodendron subsect. Philodendron ser. Fibrosa. This species is characterized by its short internodes, sharply D-shaped to two-ribbed cataphylls persisting semi-intact, subterete petioles (about as long as the blades), dark brown to blackish-drying, ovate-cordate blades with basal veins free or weakly coalesced and scarcely or not at all naked on the usually hippocrepiform sinus, solitary, short-pedunculate inflorescence, more or less elliptic green spathe, and ovaries with 13--20 ovules per locule.
Philodendron purulhense may be confused with P. advena, because leaves of the latter species dry a similar color. Philodendron advena differs in having long internodes, deciduous cataphylls, more or less sagittate blades and one to three (four) ovules per locule.
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Additional specimens examined.
GUATEMALA. Alta Verapaz: Tactic, Río Frío, 1400--1500 m, Standley 90510 (F); Tactic--Tamahú, 1500--1600 m, Standley 90820 (F); Río Carchá, Cobán--San Pedro Carchá, ca. 1360 m, Standley 89902 (F). Baja Verapaz: Highway CA-14 to Cobán, Croat 41189 (MO); Biotopo del Quetzal, WNW of Purulhá, 1500--1600 m, Stevens et al. 25446 (MO); Mpio. Purulhá, El Progreso--Cobán, 1620--1720 m, 15E13'N, 90E12'W, Croat & Hannon 63765 (CAS, CM, K, L, MEXU, MO, US, USCG). HONDURAS. Cortés: Parque Nacional Cusuco, Río de Cusuco, ca. 22 km W of San Pedro Sula, 1500 m, 15E30'N, 88E13'W, Evans 1490 (EAP, MO). Ocotepeque: Cordillera de Celaque, 3 mi. N of Belén Gualcho, 1870 m, 14E30'06"N, 88E48'02"W, Davidse et al. 35340 (MO). MEXICO. Chiapas: Mpio. Jitotol, 5 km SE of Jitotol, along road to Bochil, 1600 m, Breedlove & Davidse 55077 (MO); Mpio. La Trinitaria, 4 km E of Laguna, near Dos Lagos, 1300 m, Breedlove 38810 (CAS); Mpio. Las Margaritas, 12 km E of Tziscao, 1200--1300 m, Davidse et al. 29865 (MO).