Anthurium puberulum Croat & Lingán

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

Conservation

Conservation for Anthur ium puberulum must be considered as Data Deficient (DD) according to IUCN Red List criteria (IUCN, 2001). Although the species is known from four collections, all in the Cordillera Azul, there is no way to know how common the species is there, and there remains a need for investigation against future conservation efforts. The region of La Divisora is steep and has many endemic species. It might well qualify for protected status.

Diagnostic

Terrestris vel hemiepiphytica; internodia (3.2-)5-10 cm longa, 0.7-0.9 cm diam.; cataphylla 7.4-11.1 cm longa, decidua; petiolus 15.5-27.7 cm longus, 0.1-0.3 cm latus, in litteram D formatus; lamina 11.9-32.4 cm longa, 7.2 18.1 cm lata, sagittata vel sagittato-hastata, ad basim profunde cordata; nervis primariis lateralibus utrinque 5 ad 8; pedunculus 20.1-39.3 cm longus, 0.2-0.3 cm diam.; spatha viridis; spadix purpurea, sub anthesi 5.7-8.2 cm longa, O.A0.5 cm diam. Description based on dried material.

Ecology

Anthurium puberulum is known from the Cordillera Azul at La Divisora (Huanuco Department, Peru), a range of hills near Tingo Maria, from 1072 to 1737 m elevation in Tropical rain forest transition to Premontane (T-rf/P) and Tropical wet forest transition to Premontane (T-wf/P).

General Description

Terrestrial to hemiepiphytic, occasionally epiphytic; internodes (3.2-)5-10 cm, 0.7-0.9 cm diam., weakly glossy, grayish green; cataphylls oblong-lanceolate, bluntly 1-ribbed, obtuse to broadly acute at apex, 7.4 11.1 cm, membranaceous, deciduous, yellowish brown. LEAVES spreading; petioles 15.5-27.7 x 0.1-0.3 cm, sharply D-shaped with acute margins, matte, undulate on geniculum, green; sheath 1.7 - 4.7 cm; geniculum 0.8-2 cm; blades thinly coriaceous, 11.9-32.4 x 7.2-18.1 cm, broadest at the base, prominently lobed, sagittate to sagittate-hastate, acuminate at apex, dark green and weakly glossy adaxially, moderately paler and matte abaxially, conspicuously bullate, drying green to brownish green; margins convex, sometimes concave; posterior lobes elliptic, rarely oblong, divergent, 3.5-6.9 cm; sinus widely hippocrepiform, rarely narrowly spatulate, all major and minor veins granular-puberulent; midrib acutely raised in valley adaxially, conspicuously round-raised abaxially; primary lateral veins 5 to 8 pairs per side, straight, sunken adaxially, conspicuously raised abaxially, departing midrib at 30°-50°; interprimary veins sunken adaxially, raised abaxially; lesser veins raised in both faces, more conspicuously abaxially, areoles granular; basal veins 4 to 6 pairs, 1st and sometimes 2nd free to the base, fused 3rd to 6th to the basal ribs; posterior ribs 2.4-4.6 cm, retrorse, naked 1.2-2.4 cm; collective veins arising from the 1st basal veins, rarely from the 2nd, 0.6 1.4 cm from the margins, sunken adaxially, conspicuously raised abaxially. INFLORESCENCE erect; peduncle 20.1-39.3 cm, 0.2-0.3 cm diam., green, 1.2-1.4x longer than the petiole; spathe subcoriaceous, green, reflexed, deciduous after anthesis; spadix pale green at pre-anthesis, purple at anthesis, becoming green at post-anthesis, tapered, 5.7-8.2 cm, 0.4-0.5 cm diam. at base, ca. 0.2 cm diam. at apex, shortly stipitate, ca. 0.1 cm. Flowers square to slightly rhombic, margins weakly sigmoid, ca. 3 x 2 mm; 5 flowers visible on the principal spiral, 6 to 7 flowers visible on the alternate spiral; tepals with the inner margins convex; pistils with stigmas rounded, never exserted; stamens exserted with filaments and anthers protruding at anthesis, filaments flattened; thecae slightly divaricate. INFRUCTESCENCE not seen.