Philodendron pseudauriculatum Croat

Ortiz, Orlando Oriel, de Stapf, María Sánchez, Baldini, Riccardo Maria & Croat, Thomas Bernard, 2019, Synopsis of aroids (Alismatales, Araceae) from Cerro Pirre (Darién Province, Panama), Check List 15 (4), pp. 651-689 : 682

Philodendron pseudauriculatum Croat

Material examined. Vicinity of base camp on W side of Cerro Pirre; 08°00′N, 077°48′W; 50 m; 30 Jun. 1988; T. B. Croat 68962 ( MO). Cerro Pirre, vicinity of station along Río Perisenico; 08°01′N, 077°44′W; 110 m; 26 Jul. 1994; T. B. Croat 77094 ( MO). Ibid., Rancho Frío; 08°01′14″N, 077°43′41″W; 143 m; 13 Apr. 2016; O. O. Ortiz 2560 ( PMA).

Identification. This species is recognized by its nomadic vine life form (sometimes terrestrial as rosettes), short internodes, subteretes spongy petioles, oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate-elliptic blades, greenish-gray when dry, rounded at the base, inflorescences two to three per node and white to pinkish spathes. Due to the blade shape, P. pseudauriculatum can be confused with P. ligulatum var. heraclioanum Croat , which differs in having D-shaped petioles in cross section with erect-undulate margins and blackish (when dry) and typically purplespoted blades (when fresh).

Distribution and ecology. Colombia and Panama. This species typically has a nomadic vine life form, but occasionally it may have a terrestrial life form as rosettes, mainly in sites with rocky and dry soils. In the study site, Philodendron pseudauriculatum generally grows in the semideciduous lowland forests, between 50 and 110 m.