Philodendron fibraecataphyllum M. M. Mora & Croat, 2016

Mora, M. Marcela & Croat, Thomas B., 2016, Philodendron fibraecataphyllum (Araceae), a new species from the lowlands in Western Colombia and Ecuador, Phytotaxa 252 (2), pp. 159-162 : 159-161

Philodendron fibraecataphyllum M. M. Mora & Croat , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Differs from congeners by the combination of the following characters: hemiepiphytic habit; short internodes; cataphylls soon becoming dark red-brown, persisting as large fragments of epidermis with many moderately coarse, pale straw-colored, longitudinal fibers; firm, terete, densely warty petioles; sagittate-hastate to hastate blades with 7–8 primary lateral veins; pinkish, coarsely white-streaked peduncles; dark green, densely short-pale-lineate spathe with a reddish violet tube interior.

Type: — ECUADOR. Esmeraldas. Lita-San Lorenzo road, 2 km E of Gasolinera San Lorenzo near E edge of town. 01º07’ 28” N, 078º43’ 18”W, 8 m, 7 October 1999, Thomas B. Croat, Richard Mansell, Lynn Hannon & Beth Owen 83082 (holotype: MO! isotypes: AAU!, COL!, GB!, MO!, Q!, QAP!, S!, USM!)

Hemiepiphytic appressed-climber, 2–3 m above ground; stem ca. 30 cm long, (0.6–) 0.8–1.7 cm diam.; internodes 1–4 cm long, shorter toward the apex of the stem, obtusely ribbed on one side, dark green to yellowish, moderately glossy, palestriate, becoming light reddish-brown or caramel-colored in age; cataphyll s (16–) 20–28.5 cm long, unribbed, obtusely ribbed on one side or, 2-low-ribbed, green, sometimes tinged purplish to dark magenta, short-white-lineate at base, soon dark red-brown, persisting semi-intact at most nodes with pale longitudinal fibers. Leaves spreading; petiole 36–62 cm long, 3–8 mm diam., 1.3–1.6 times longer than leaf blade, cylindrical, firm, dark green, finely pale lineate-striate to coarsely pale-warty throughout, matte; basal pulvinus prominent, light green to magenta; blade hastate, long-acuminate to abruptly acuminate at apex (acumen 3–4 cm long), with the basal lobes spreading outwards, 27–44 × 26–28 cm at base, broadest across the lateral lobes, 1–1.6 times longer than broad, subcoriaceous, dark green and semiglossy above, slightly paler and glossy below, drying greenish-brown above, light reddish-brown below, pale short-lineate on both surfaces, granular above; anterior lobe oblong to triangular with the margins broadly convex in apical half, 26–39 × 10–18 cm; posterior lobes 12–19.5 × 6–11 cm, spreading outwards, narrowly rounded at the apex; sinus broadly arcuate with decurrent petiole, 0.5–6 cm deep; midrib narrowly sunken and concolorous to paler above, narrowly raised and concolorous below; basal veins 6–9 pairs, acroscopic 4–5, basioscopic 2–3, 1 st and 2 nd pair free to base, the remainder coalescent; interbasal veins prominent; posterior rib spreading almost horizontally, sometimes directed towards the apex, departing petiole plexus at a 90–115° angle, 6–10 cm long, not at all naked or naked for 1–2 cm; primary lateral veins 7–10(–17) pairs, 1.3–3.5 cm apart, departing midrib at a 45–55° angle; sunken and paler than surface above, narrowly raised and concolorous below; interprimary veins almost as conspicuous as primary lateral veins; minor veins inconspicuous above, fine and distinct below; lacticifers present, moderately conspicuous on lower surface. Inflorescence 1–3 per axil; peduncle 3.5–5 cm long, pink at base, coarsely white-streaked; spath e 7–8 cm long, dark green, densely short-pale-lineate throughout; blade paler outside, sometimes pale green within, tube tinged red-violet inside; spadix 9.3 cm long; fertile staminate portion ca. 4 cm long, drying 5 mm diam. on broadest portion ca. 2/3 the distance to the apex, moderately pointed, yellow-brown; sterile staminate portion 0.5–0.6 cm long, pistillate portion ca. 4.2 cm long (in fruit). Infructescence with berries ca. 15 visible in each spiral, cream-colored, 5–6 mm long, 2–3 mm diam., style irregularly rounded with a thin margin; stigma button-shaped, 7–8 mm diam., drying blackened, weakly domed medially with (4–)5–6 pits in around the center; ovary mostly 5–6-locular with axile placentation; seeds 15–20 per locule, light brownish, 1–1.2 mm long, 0.4 mm diam., finely many striate on magnification; funicle short, ca. ¼ as long as seed.

Phenology: —Collected in flower in October.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the cataphylls that persist as fibers covering the upper internodes of the stem.

Distribution and habitat: — Philodendron fibraecataphyllum is only known from collections from the Chocó Department in Colombia and the Esmeraldas Province in Ecuador ( Fig. 2 ), from near sea level to 160 m elevation in Tropical wet forest (Twf) life zone (Holdridge 1967). However, it expected to occur in the Valle, Cauca and Nariño Departments in Colombia in the lowlands along the Pacific Coast.

Paratypes:— COLOMBIA. Chocó: Municipio Nuquí, Corregimiento Arusí, Estación Biológica El Amargal, 5°34’ 14 N, 77°30’10” W, 30 m, Jul–Sep 1998, Mora 68 ( COL!) ; Jun 2002, Mora & Croat 327 ( COL!, MO!) ; Corregimiento de Coquí. Quebrada Trapiche al sureste de Coquí, 5°32’ N, 77°15’ W, Gloria A. Galeano, A. Moreno, G. Moreno & J. Perea 5448 ( COL!, MO!) . ECUADOR: Esmeraldas: Along road from San Lorenzo to Mataje , departing main Lita-San Lorenzo highway, 7.5 km N of Gasolinera San Lorenzo , 0.4 km W of main Lita-San Lorenzo highway, 01°14’30”N, 78°45’50”W, 60 m, 11 July 2000, Thomas B. Croat, Lynn P. Hannon, Dylann Hannon & Emily Kinsinger 83861 ( MO!, QCNE!) .

Affinities: —Three collections (Croat 55546, Croat 73091, Croat 73141) from the Muisne Canton in southwest of Esmeraldas Province and one specimen (Croat 82211A) from the vicinity of Río Chuchubi near the town of Lita in the north of the Esmeraldas province are morphologically very similar to material from the Cabo Corrientes and the San Lorenzo regions. However, these collections differ by having cataphylls that persist as a mass of disorganized fibers (vs. mostly longitudinal, parallel fibers), leaves with main veins that dry gray-green to straw colored (vs. reddish brown), and have a geniculum that is darker than the rest of the petiole when dry (vs. concolor). It is possible that these collections may represent an undescribed taxon but we prefer to withhold judgment pending additional material.

Philodendron fibraecataphyllum is a member of subgen. Philodendron, sect. Philodendron, subsect. Philodendron series Fibrosa . It is most easily confused with P. acuminatissimum , a relatively widespread species occurring on the Pacific slope of the Ecuadorian Andes at (30–)200–1300(–1750) m. Both species have in common their persistent pale fibrous cataphylls and hastate leaf blades with long-acuminate apex. Philodendron acuminatissimum differs in having variable leaf blades that range from hastate to deeply 3-lobed (vs. hastate-sagittate to hastate), with the posterior lobes directed upwards (vs. outwards). In addition, the leaves of P. acuminatissimum have petioles and main veins that dry gray-green to straw-colored (vs. reddish brown).

Philodendron fibraecataphyllum is similar to an undescribed species (Croat 57429) from the Chocó Department ( Colombia) which differs by having cataphylls persisting as a reddish brown mass (vs. persisting pale fibers), primary lateral veins departing at a 55–65° angle (vs. 45–55°), a spathe tube that is tinged red-violet at the base outside (vs. green) and, a bulbous sterile staminate portion that is thicker than the fertile staminate portion (vs. thinner).

Philodendron fibraecataphyllm is also similar to P. balaoanum , a species endemic to the dry forest of the Provinces of Manabí, Guayas and Los Ríos in western Ecuador. Both species have leaf blades that are sagittate-hastate, with the posterior lobes directed outwards, forming an arcuate sinus. Philodendron balaonanum differs in having leaf blades that dry greyishgreen (vs. greenish-brown to reddish brown), petioles and main veins that dry gray-green to straw-colored (vs. dark reddish brown) and leaf blades that dry greyish green to light brown on the upper surface (vs. dark greenish brown). Additionally, P. balaoanum has distinctive brownish blotches on the midrib and basal veins on the upper surface that might be extra-floral nectaries as it is common in other species of Philodendron (e.g. P. cordatum ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Philodendron fibraecataphyllum. A. Habit (Mora 68). B. Leaf blade (Croat et al. 83082). C. View showing inflorescences after anthesis and cataphylls persisting as longitudinal pale fibers on upper internodes of the stem (Croat et al. 83082).. D. Type specimen (Croat et al. 83082; MO-04966920, sheet 2) showing lower surface of leaf blade, stem and an immature infructescence.

FIGURE 2. Distribution of Philodendron fibraecataphyllum as illustrated by circles.