Planta cpipetric; caules ca. 10 cm longi; cataphylla 6-9 cm longa, persistens superis nodis fibris tenuibus, postremo deciduis; petioli 13-18 cm longi, 2-3 mm lati, anguste sulcati; lamina subcoriacea, oblongo-oblanceolata, 19-25 cm longa, 3-4.5 cm lata; inflorescentia erecta, longiora quam petiola; pedunculus 13-16 cm longus; spatha oblongo-lanceolata, viride, reflexens prominenter; spadix stipitata 2-3 mm, viridula brunnea (probablitcr per anthesin), 7.4÷9.5 cm longa, 3 mm lata; baccae immaturae viride obovoidea, 6.5-9 mm longae, 4.5-5.5 mm diam., semina dua, 4.5-5 mm longa, 2-2.8 mm lata.

Epipetric; 35-50 cm tall; stems ca. 10 cm long; roots moderately few, descending, ca. 3 mm diam.; cataphylls 6-9 cm long, narrowly pointed at apex, thin, soon weathering to slender, pale brown fibers and persisting loosely at uppermost nodes, eventually falling.

LEAVES erect to spreading; petioles 13-18 cm long, 2-3 mm diam., narrowly suloate; gcniculum 1.3-1.5 cm long;blades subcoriaceous, oblong-oblanceolate, 19-25 cm long, 3-4.5 cm wide, gradually acuminate at apex (the acumen 1-2 cm long, apiculate ca. 1 mm), narrowly acute at base, epunctale below. drying yellowish brown, sparsely and obscurely glandular-punctate above, drying grayish b-o-*T.. midrib raised below, weakly raised above-, r-.-mary lateral veins 5-7 per side, prominer-ii.. ;.'-cending, departing midrib at 15-30° angle, dr.is^ scarcely more prominent than the interpnman. veins; reticulate veins drying prominulous on upper surface, prominent on lower surface: collective vein arising from one of the primary lateral veins in the middle to lower third of the blade.

INFLORESCENCE erect, usually longer than the petioles; peduncles 13-16 cm tone spathe oblong-lanceolate, 2.7-4.7 cm long. 5-10 mm wide, green, at first erect, becoming prominently reflexed, narrowly acuminate at apex (the acumen 1-6 mm long, inrolled), inserted÷a. 45° angle; spadix stipitate 2-3 mm, giceunh brown (probably at anthesis), narrowly oblong, scarcely or not at all tapered, 7.4-9.5 cm long, 3 mm diam. (dried), bluntly rounded at apex; flowers rhombic, 2.2-2.5 mm long, 1.9-2.2 mm wide. the sides gradually sigmoid; 3 flowers visible in the principal spiral, 5-6 flowers visible in the alternate spiral; lepals drying glossy, lateral le-pals 1.3-1.4 mm wide, inner margins convex-thin; pistils not at all emergent, green; stigma slit-like, 0.3 mm long, the space between the tepals 0.3-0.4 mm wide; staminal emergence not studied, stamens apparently retracting (at least on drying); anthers 0.3 mm long; thecae oblong-ovoid, slightly divaricate.

INFRUCTESCENCE spreading; spathe persistent; berries green, ob-ovoid, round at apex, 6.5-9 mm long, 4.5-5.5 mm diam., periderm thick, lacking obvious ra-phide cells; seeds 2, 4.5-5 mm long, 2-2.8 mm wide, somewhat flattened, enveloped in a gelatinous substance.

Anthurium sytsmae is endemic to Panama in Code Province occurring in tropical wet forest. It is only known from rapidly flowing streams at 200 to 400 m where it grows on rocks along the stream margins or in the spray basin of waterfalls.

The species is a member of section Porphyrochitonium and is probably most closely related to A. amnicola, which is also only sparsely and obscurely punctate on the upper surface, and A. antioquiense Engl. from Colombia, which is only sparsely punctate.

It is the third riparian species to be discovered in recent years from rapid flowing streams on the Caribbean slope ofCoclŽ Province (the other two being Anthurium rupicola and A. amnicola). It differs from both of these species in that it has prominent reticulate venation. Although this venation is closest to that of A. amnicola, the latter species has an ovate, pale lavender spathe and much shorter, violet purple spadix. It differs from A. rupicola in having the collective vein arising from one of the primary lateral veins in the middle of the blade; A. rupicola has the collective vein arising from the base of the blade.

A nthurium sytsmae was collected in flower and fruit in February and is named for Kenneth Syts-ma who made the first collection in 1982. That collection disappeared shortly after arriving and has not yet resurfaced. Fortunately Genit Davidse was planning a trip into the area the following year and agreed to look for the plant. Its rediscovery allows the description to be prepared.

Map of Mesoamerican specimens with coordinates

Panama Bocas del Toro: 850-950 m, 8.46N 82.17W, 08 Mar 1986, Barry Hammel, G. McPherson & L. Sanders 14703 (MO).
Panama CoclŽ: 200-400 m, 8.42.43N 80.37.15W, 3 Feb 1983, G. Davidse & C.W. Hamilton 23578 (MO).