ABSTRACT:

This paper describes seventy-four species of Philodendron from NW Ecuador, largely from Esmeraldas Province. Twenty-eight species are new to science: Philodendron alatisulcatum Croat, P. alatiundulatum Croat, P. angosturense Croat, P. anthracyne Croat, P. bethoweniae Croat, P. bonifaziae Croat, P. curvipetiolatum Croat, P. delannayi Croat, P. delgadoi Croat & Delannay, P. ellipticum Croat, P. esmeraldense Croat, P. fibraecataphyllum M. M. Mora & Croat, P. gardeniodorum Croat, D. P. Hannon & Delannay, P. hannoniae Croat, P. jimenae Croat, P. luteonervium Croat, P. lynnhannoniae Croat, P. magnum Croat, P. mansellii Croat, P. melanoneuron Croat, P. melanum Croat, P. mentiens Croat & Delannay, P. ovatoluteum Croat, P. pambilarense Croat, P. parvidactylum Croat, P. profundisulcatum Croat, P. quelalii Croat & T. Mines, P. rugapetiolatum Croat and P. sharoniae Croat. In addition to these twenty-eight new species, nine additional unpublished species (all sterile and therefore not published here as new) are also described. One more species included here, P. fibraecataphyllum M. M. Mora & Croat, is in press in another journal. All species are described in detail and illustrated and an identification key is provided.