LEAVES spreading; petioles quadrangular, 14-53 cm long, 7-10 mm wide. broadly sulcate adaxially, with a faint convex rib abax-ially; gcniculum 1.3-1.9 cm long; blades oblong-lanceolate to oblong or oblong-triangular, moderately thick, long-acuminate at apex, rounded to truncate at base, 37-135(160) cm long, 8-35(45) cm wide; the upper surface semiglossy to glossy, the lower surface glossy; the midrib acutely raised above, broad at base, narrow and sunken al apex, convexly raised below becoming more acute at apex; primary lateral veins numerous, departing midrib at 45° angle, raised above and below; lesser veins conspicuous but not raised above and below; collective vein arising from one of the primary lateral veins in the basal one half of the blade, sunken above, raised below, 2-3 mm from margin.

INFLORESCENCE spreading, shorter than leaves; the peduncle 13-25 cm long, terete; spathe subcoriaceous, narrowly ovate to oblong-lanceolate, green or violet-purple inside, green outside, 10.5-32 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, acuminate al apex, rounded to sub-cordate al base, inserted at 45° on peduncle, usually twisted or coiled and strongly reflexed; spadix yellow-green, 16-38 cm long, ca. 9 mm diam. at base, 7 mm diam. al apex; the flowers rhombic to 4-lobed, 2.5-4 mm in both directions, the sides sigmoid; 7-11 flowers visible in principal spiral, ca. 9 flowers visible in the alternate spiral;tepals matte to semiglossy, 2-2.5 mm long, ca. 2.7 mm wide, the inner margins convex; pistils emergent, green, violet-purple at apex; stigma ca. 1 mm long, elliptic; stamens emerging promptly throughout length of spadix in a complete sequence; anthers held around exserted pistil; thecae narrowly ovoid, slightly divaricate; pollen cream-colored.

INFRUCTESCENCE with spadix to 50 cm long; berries oblong-linear, probably orange at maturity, 10-14 mm long, ca. 3.5 mm diam., tapered to a blunt apex; seeds 2, 3.4- 3.6 mm long, ca. 1.6 mm wide with minute, triangular appendage at base. Figs. 186 and 197.

Anthurium spectabile occurs in Costa Rica at 500 to 900 m in premontane wet forest and tropical wet forest. The species is recognized by its elongate, pendent leaf blades with numerous, prominent, primary lateral veins supported on an erect, 4-sided petiole. Also distinctive is the inflorescence with its short peduncle, large, narrowly ovate, often violet-purple spathe and yellow spadix. Anthurium spectabile has been placed in section Pachyneurium.

Anthurium spectabile is easily confused with A. ranchoanum, which has similar leaves (especially on dried herbarium material) and a similar inflorescence. Anthurium ranchoanum, however, has a subterete petiole and a leaf blade held more or less erect or in line with the petiole. Anthurium spectabile also has an elongate, more or less spreading spathe, while the spathe of A. ranchoanum is shorter and usually stiffly erect.

Anthurium spectabile is also similar to A. pseudospectabile (Croat ined.) from Panama, but the latter has longer blades with more undulate margins, terete petioles, and occurs in premontane rain forest.
 

Map of Mesoamerican specimens with coordinates

Costa Rica Alajuela:, , Lent 3543 (F).
Costa Rica Alajuela:, , Molina et al. 17287 (F).
Costa Rica Alajuela: 600 m,, 3 Feb. 1979, Thomas B. Croat 46968 (B, CAS, CR, F, K, M, MO, NY, RSA, SEL, US, WU).
Costa Rica Alajuela: Río Sarapiquí, 830 m, 10.16N 84.11W, 1 Oct 1987, Croat 68303 (MO).
Costa Rica Cartago:, , Thomas B. Croat 69707 (MO, WU).
Costa Rica Costa Rica:, 3 May 1984, Gomez et al. 21188 (MO).
Costa Rica Heredia: Río Guacimito, 500 m,, 20 Jan 1983, Chacon 167 (MO).
Costa Rica Lim—n:, , Smith 4982 (US).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: Las Cruces Botanical Garden, 1300 m,, 11 Jan 1978, Thomas B. Croat 44431 (MO).
Costa Rica San José: 600-700 m, 10.09.50N 83.57.10W, 30 August 1996, Thomas B. Croat 78767 (B, CM, INB, K, MO).

Map of South American Specimens with coordinates

Colombia Narino: La Planada, 1700 m, 1.06N 77.53W, 10 March 1990, Thomas B. Croat 43325 (MO).