Philodendron sulcicaule Croat & Grayum, sp. nov.
TYPE:
Costa Rica. Limon: 7 km SW of Bribn, 100-250 m, ca. 9¡36'N, 82¡54'W, 4 May
1983, Gomez, Liesner & Judziewicz 20473 (holotype, MO-3160203;
isotypes, B, CR, K, PMA, US). Figures 399,
400, 403.
PIanta
hemiepiphytica; internodia 6-16 cm longa, 5÷ 13 mm diam., profunde sulcata;
cataphylla 12 cm longa, incostata, vel acute 1-coslata, rare acute 2-costala,
decidua intacta; petiolus 11-20 cm longus, subteres, leniter complanatus
adaxialiter; lamina ovato-cordata, abrupte vel longa acuminata, 14.5-24 cm
longa, 9.6-15 cm lata; nervis basalibus 3 utroque, infirmis; nervis lateralibus
I obscuris; inflorescentia 1-4(5); pedunculus tennis, 3.5÷10 cm longus, 1-3 mm
diam.; spatha (4.5)5.8-11 cm longa, omnino alba, tube spathae intus rubro,
roseo aut purpureo basi; pistilla 1÷5-locularia;
loculi 1-ovulati.
Hemiepiphytic vine; stem scandent, drying yellow, glossy; internodes
deeply sulcate, prominently ribbed, semiglossy, 6÷16 cm long, 5÷13 mm diam.,
longer than broad, olive-green; epidermis becoming brown, breaking free on
bending stem; roots red-brown, slender, curled, 8-20 cm long; cataphylls 12 cm
long, unribbed to sharply 1-ribbed, rarely sharply 2-ribbed, green rarely pink,
deciduous intact; petioles 11÷20 cm long, 4÷8 mm diam., subterete, dark
green, weakly flattened adaxially, semiglossy; blades ovate-cordate,
subcoriaceous, semiglossy, moderately bicolorous, abruptly- to long-acuminate
at apex (the acumen apiculate, to 4 mm long), cordate at base, 14.5÷24 cm long,
9.6÷ 15 cm wide (1.3--1.9 times longer than wide), (0.9-1.6 times longer than
petiole), about two-thirds as long as petiole, margins drying moderately
undulate, upper surface dark green, drying usually dark brown, semiglossy to
matte, lower surface paler, drying light brown to greenish brown, sometimes
yellowish brown, semiglossy; anterior lobe 10÷19.6 cm long, 7÷15 cm wide
(2.6÷3.8 times longer than posterior lobes); posterior lobes 3.5-6 cm long,
2.7÷6.4 cm wide, rounded-obtuse to nearly acute; sinus arcuate with blade
decurrent on petiole to short-hippocrepiform; midrib flat to weakly raised,
concolorous above, convex, concolorous to paler than surface below; basal veins
to 3 per side, weak, 1 sometimes free to base, the remainder coalesced 0.5÷2
cm; posterior rib naked for all its length; primary lateral veins obscure
above, obscure below; minor veins distinct, fine, close, arising from the
midrib only; "cross-veins" sometimes visible.
INFLORESCENCES 1-1. (5) per axil; peduncle 3.5-10 cm long, 1÷3 mm diam.,
reddish, whitish or purplish, slender; spathe (4.5)5.8-11 cm long,
(0.9-1.1(2) times longer than peduncle), weakly constricted midway, 5 mm diam. at
constriction, white throughout, becoming greenish (post-anthesis), rarely
reddish (Gomez el al. 20473), cuspidate-acuminate at apex (the acumen
ca. 1.5 mm long), white inside; resin canals appearing as intermittent lines in
lower two-thirds of spathe, extending into upper part of spathe tube, drying
blackened; spathe tube 3^4. cm long, red, pink, or purple at base inside; spadix
sessile; slender, acute at apex, 4.5÷7.7 cm long, broadest at the middle of the
staminate portion, constricted scarcely or not al all above the sterile
staminate portion; pistillate portion while, 2.5 cm long, 4.5 mm diam. midway,
3.5-4.5 mm diam. at apex and at base; staminate portion 3÷5.2 cm long; sterile
staminate portion cream, 3-4 mm diam.; pistils white; ovary 4÷5-locular, with ±
sub-basal placentation; locules 0.4 mm long, 0.2÷0.3 mm diam.; ovule sac 0.4 mm
long; ovules 1 per locule, contained within translucent or transparent ovule
sac, 0.2÷0.3 mm long; funicle 0.1÷0.2 mm long (can be pulled tree to base),
style similar to style type B; style apex flat; stigma subdiscoid, unlobed, ±
truncate, 0.4÷0.5 mm diam., 0.1 mm high, covering center of style apex; the
androecium margins irregularly 4÷6-sided, 0.6-1.2 mm long. IN-FRUCTESCENCE
peduncle, 8 cm long, 1 cm diam.
Flowering in Philodendron sulcicaule occurs during the dry season
and early wet season (December through May, though no flowering collections
have been seen from April). Post-anthesis collections have been seen from March
and April. No fruits have been seen. Philodendron sulcicaule ranges from
extreme southeastern Costa Rica to the Atlantic slope of Panama, from 100 to
about 700 m elevation (though generally less than 300 m) in Premontane wet
forest transition to Tropical wet forest life zones. Philodendron
sulcicaule is a member of P. sect. Calostigma subsect. Glossophyllum
ser. Ovata. The species is characterized by its scandent habit; deeply
sulcate stems drying yellow and glossy; unribbed, deciduous cataphylls;
subterete petioles weakly flattened adaxially; and ovate-cordate blades with
obscure primary lateral veins and up to four pairs of weak basal veins. Also
characteristic are the numerous (up to five per axil), small, slenderly
pedunculate inflorescences with spathes white outside (sometimes tinged red)
and red to purplish in the base of the lube.
Philodendron sulcicaule appears closest to an undescribed
species from Bajo Calima, Valle Department, Colombia (e.g., Croat 70137).
Though the latter species has the same habit, petiole shape, leaf size and
shape, and ribbed yellowish stems, it differs in having while cataphylls,
usually 3-4 primary lateral leaf veins, and 3÷5 basal veins with a
well-developed posterior rib. In addition, the spathe tube is reddish outside
and the entire inner surface is creamy-while (vs. usually white outside and
reddish to purplish inside the tube in P. sulcicaule).
In Central America, Philodendron sulcicaule resembles P. purpureoviride and
P. microstictum, both
of which are vines with similar leaves. Philodendron purpureoviride
differs in having solitary, stout inflorescences (instead with up to three
or four smaller inflorescences) and leaf blades with distinct primary lateral
veins. Philodendron microstictum differs in having blades broader than
long (vs. longer than broad in P. sulcicaule).
 |
 |
 |