Anthurium pendens Croat

CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011. araceae.e-monocot.org

Habitat

Tropical wet and lower montane rain forest.

General Description

Pendent epiphyte; stems ca. 10 cm long, 1-2.5 cm diam.; internodes to 2 cm long, shorter near apex; leaf scars 1.2 cm wide, often obscured by persistent cataphyll fibers; roots moderately thin, green; cataphylls moderately thick, 7-10 cm long, drying tan, weathering into coarse reticulate fibers. LEAVES pendent: petioles 8-22 cm long, 4-5 mm diam., terete, with reddish brown glands on surface; geniculum 0.5-1 cm long; blades coriaceous, narrowly linear-oblanceolate, long-acuminate at apex, acute at base, 41-75 cm long, 3-12.5 cm wide. usually broadest above middle; both surfaces matte to semiglossy, sparsely and inconspicuously glandular-punctate (conspicuous on drying); lower surface scarcely paler than upper surface; midrib acutely raised above, flat at apex, convexly raised below; primary lateral veins 8-12 per side, departing midrib at 10-20° angle, scarcely visible above or below, prominulous on drying; interprimary veins scarcely visible, drying as prominent as primary lateral veins; collective vein arising from the base, 3-15 mm from margin. INFLORESCENCE spreading to pendent, much shorter than leaves; peduncle terete, 4.5-15 cm long 3.5-5 mm diam., as long as petioles; spathe thin, greenish white, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 7-7.5 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, broadest at middle, abruptly acuminate at apex, obtuse to rounded at base, inserted at 35° angle on peduncle, usually withering early and deciduous; spadix pink, turning greenish brown before anthesis, 12-18 cm long, 5-8 mm diam. near base, 4-6 mm diam. near apex, the flowers square to rhombic, 2.9-4 mm wide, 2.9-3.5 mm long, the sides straight to sigmoid parallel to spirals, sigmoid perpendicular to spirals, 5-6 flowers visible in the principal spiral, 7-8 flowers visible in the alternate spiral; tepals semiglossy, the lateral tepals 1.8-2 mm wide, the inner margins broadly rounded; pistils weakly emergent; stigmas ellipsoid 0.4-0.6 mm long, with a small droplet apparent before stamens emerge; stamens emerging in a scattered manner usually beginning at the base but the laterals soon scattered throughout spadix, exserted on thin, clear filaments ca. 2 mm long, retracting to hold anthers close against pistil; anthers white, 0.5-0.6 mm long, 0.6-0.7 mm wide; thecae ovate, moderately divaricate; pollen white. INFRUCTESCENCE pendent; spathe deciduous; spadix to 22 cm long with berries exserted; berries orange (B & K. Yellow 8/2.5), depressed globose, 5 mm long, 5 mm diam.; mesocarp gelatinous, yellow with numerous raphide cells; seeds (1-)2, pale yellow, ovoid, 2-2.7 mm long, 1-1.6 mm wide, with brownish appendage at base.

Distribution

Occurs in a small area on the border between Panama and Colombia (Choco). In Panama it is also known from Chiriquí, Colón, Panamá, and Darién Provinces. It has also been recorded in Puntarenas of Costa Rica.