Philodendron clewellii 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 : 675-677

Philodendron clewellii Croat

Material examined. Middle slopes on W side of Cerro Pirre; 07°56′N, 077°45′W; 800–1050 m; 29 Jun. 1988; T. B. Croat 68945 ( MO). Ibid.; T. B. Croat 68957 ( MO). Parque Nacional Darién, Serranía de Pirre, Rancho Plástico; 07°59′13″N, 077°42′28″W; 1127 m; 30 Jul. 2016; O. O. Ortiz 2643 ( PMA).

Identification. This species is distinguished by its no-

madic vine life form, very long stems (10 m long), long internodes, deciduous cataphylls, subterete petioles, ovate blades, cordate at base, dark brown when dry, usu- ally free basal veins, naked posterior ribs (when pres- ent), narrow and closed sinus, inflorescences arranged in groups of up to six per node and by its purple spathe tubes externally and creamy-white spathe blades on both surfaces. There are no similar species to P. clewellii on Cerro Pirre.

Distribution and ecology. Endemic to Panama. Philodendron clewellii represents an extremely rare species and is only known from the montane cloud forests of Cerro Pirre, located above 1100 m.