Philodendron latipes K. Koch & Augustin in A. Braun et al., Append. Gen. Sp. Hort. Berol. 1854: 6. 1854-1855. TYPE: origin unknown. Holotype, B, destroyed. Burchell 9452 (K), neotype (here designated).

Philodendron poeppigii Schott, Syn. Aroid. 84. 1860. TYPE: Brazil. Amazonas. (Ega) Tefé, Poeppig s.n. (holotype, B).

Philodendron brevilaminatum Schott, J. Bot. 2: 4. 1864. TYPE: Brazil. Bahia: Ilheos, Archduke F. Maximilianius s.n., (holotype, lost; Schott ic. 3592 [neotype here designated].

Philodendron clementis C. Wright in Griseb., Cat. Pl. Cub., 220. 1866. TYPE: Cuba. near Retiro, Wright 3212 (lectotype, K, designated here).

Philodendron demerarae Gleason, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 56: 11. 1929. TYPE: Guyana. SE of Lamaha stop-off, 27 Nov. 1919, Hitchcock 16987 (holotype, NY).

Philodendron accrescens N. W. Simmonds, Kew Bull. 1951: 402. 1951. TYPE: Trinidad. Long Stretch, 15 Jan. 1949, Simmonds 14256 (holotype, TRIN).

Hemiepiphytic; acaulescent or caulescent, stem appressed-climbing or rarely scandent with slender, whip-like branches bearing small leaves, to 1--6 m long, sap orangish to brownish, sticky, spicy-scented; internodes short, 1--4 cm diam., usually thicker than long, dark green, semiglossy, obscured by cataphyll fibers, roots often many per node, drying dark brown, 2--3 mm diam.; cataphylls sharply 2-ribbed or sharply D-shaped, greenish white, sometimes drying reddish brown, persisting as persistent fibers, margins weakly upturned below.
LEAVES erect-spreading; petioles 22--70 cm long, 4--11 mm diam., more or less D-shaped to sharply C-shaped, broadly sulcate adaxially; blades ovate to ovate-triangular, subcoriaceous, moderately bicolorous, acuminate at apex (the acumen sometimes inrolled or very short apiculate, 2--5 mm long), cordate at base, 21.6--59 cm long, 17--37.5 cm wide (1.1--1.7 times longer than wide), (0.7--1.3 times longer than petiole), about equal in length to petiole, upper surface semiglossy, lower surface semiglossy; anterior lobe 19.5--49 cm long, 17--39 cm wide, (2.1--3.9 times longer than posterior lobes); posterior lobes 5--16.5 cm long, 10--18.3 cm wide, obtuse to rounded; midrib broadly sunken, paler than surface above, convex, bluntly angular, paler than surface below; basal veins (3)4(5) per side, with (0)1(2) free to base, 1--2 coalesced 1--4 cm; posterior rib not naked or naked 1--4 cm along the sinus; primary lateral veins 3--6 per side, etched-sunken above, convex below; interprimary veins visible and discontinuous above; minor veins visible and darker than surface below, arising from both the midrib and primary lateral veins. INFLORESCENCES erect to semi-erect, 2 per axil; peduncle 3--13.5(17) cm long, 3--15 mm diam.; spathe 8.5--19 cm long, (1.2--3.6 times longer than peduncle); spathe blade white to greenish, rarely reddish outside, white to greenish inside; spathe tube reddish to dark maroon outside, red to maroon inside; spadix stipitate 3--4 mm long; cylindrical, 9--16 cm long, more or less uniform throughout; pistillate portion cylindrical, 2.5--5 cm long, 1.4 cm diam. throughout, 1.6 diam. at apex, 1.8 cm diam. at middle, 1.5 cm wide at base; staminate portion 6.3--7.8 cm long; fertile staminate portion creamy white, cylindrical, to 1.3 cm diam. at base, 1.4 cm diam. at middle, 1 cm diam. ca. 1 cm from apex, broadest in the middle and as broad as the pistillate and sterile portions; sterile staminate portion as broad as or broader than the pistillate portion, 1.2--1.5 cm diam.; pistils 3.2--3.5 mm long, 2.1--2.9 mm diam.; ovary 6--10-locular, with axile placentation; locules 1.6--2.3 mm long; ovules (24)32-36 per locule, 2-seriate, 0.2--0.3 mm long, more or less equal in length to funicle; funicle 0.2--0.3 mm long, style similar to style type D; stylar canals emerging into conspicuous depressions; style apex slightly concave to flat; stigma subdiscoid, (brush-like), unlobed, 2.1--2.7 mm diam., 0.5--0.7 mm high, covering entire style apex, inserted on entire style apex; the androecium 4--6-sided; thecae slightly obovate, 0.2--0.4 mm wide; sterile staminate flowers ellipsoidal to globose, 2.2--3 mm long.

INFRUCTESCENCE with stipe of spadix maroon; berries usually bright red to purple-red, sometimes orange, rarely yellowish white (McPherson 14496) to white (McPherson 11380).

Flowering in Philodendron fragrantissimum in both Panama and Middle America occurs during the rainy season from May to October (except September). Some post-anthesis collections from Middle America are scattered in the dry season as well (January and March). Post-anthesis collections are also principally from May through December (except October) as are immature fruiting collections (July through November). Mature fruits have been collected during May through December (except July and August).

Philodendron fragrantissimum ranges from Belize to Panama along the Caribbean coast and to Pacific Colombia (Chocó), then disjunctly to the Amazon basin, where it ranges from Venezuela to the Guianas, northern Brazil (Roraima and Amazonas), southern Colombia (Meta, Caquetá, Guajira, and Vaupes), and Peru (Amazonas, Loreto, Ucayali, and Madre de Dios). It is also known from Cuba and Trinidad and it is to be expected in Ecuador and in western Brazil. Ranging from near sea level to 1000 m elevation, this species occurs in Tropical moist forest, Premontane wet forest and Tropical wet forest life zones.

Philodendron fragrantissimum is a member of P. sect. Philodendron subsect. Macrolonchium. This species is distinguished by its short internodes, a tendency to produce slender, whip-like branches from near the apex, persistent, reddish brown cataphyll fibers, more or less D-shaped petioles with somewhat elevated, lateral margins, ovate to ovate-triangular, cordate blades (about equal to the petioles in length), and colorful inflorescences with the spathes bright red on the tube and white on the blade.

Philodendron fragrantissimum is not easily confused with any other species in Central America, since the combination of D-shaped petioles, persistent cataphylls and red and white inflorescences is unique, but it has been confused with the Venezuelan P. chimantae G. S. Bunting, which differs in having typically more triangular petioles that are actually winged (not merely ribbed) on the lateral adaxial margins, brown cataphylls persisting intact for a time before falling off, and blades with a much narrower sinus.

Philodendron fragrantissimum populations in South America, particularly in the Guiana region (the type locality), have nearly triangular rather than D-shaped petioles typical of those in Central America. In addition, the blade shape is more nearly triangular than ovate as in Central America. I believe, nevertheless, that differences between Central American and South American populations do not warrant taxonomic recognition.

Additional specimens examined.