Monotagma remotum Hagberg, R.Erikss. & H.Kenn., 2011

Hagberg, Mats & Eriksson, Roger, 2011, New names in Monotagma (Marantaceae), Phytotaxa 20 (1), pp. 1-25 : 16

10. Monotagma remotum Hagberg, R.Erikss. & H.Kenn. , sp. nov. ( Fig. 3B )

Monotagmatis haughtii similis sed ab eo differt laminae apice acuminato (vs. caudato), scapo breviore (15–25 vs. 33–68 cm), et primo internodio synflorescentiae axe principali breviore (1.3–2.8 vs. 8.5–12 cm).

Type:— PANAMA. Panamá: Cerro Jefe, Altos de Pacora , beyond the end of the road, 680–710 m, 22 February 1976, Kennedy & Dressler 3515 (holotype NY, isotypes GB, MO) .

Herb 0.6–0.8 m tall. Rhizomes subterraneous, branched to form clusters of a few shoots, each shoot bearing 3–7 irregularly arranged basal leaves. Ultimate basal leaf with sheath 23–35 cm long, papyraceous, appressedhirtellous throughout, not auriculate; petiole 0.6–4.1 cm long, ± terete, puberulent; pulvinus 0.6–1.4 cm long, ± terete, puberulent adaxially, without annulus; blade narrowly elliptic, ± papyraceous when dry, base ± cuneate, apex caudate, centric, 25–31 × 9.6–10.5 cm, length from base to broadest part 10.5–13.5 cm, adaxial surface ± papillose, puberulent throughout, abaxial surface not papillose, puberulent along midrib, lateral nerves, margins, and at apex. Synflorescence 3-nodate with 5–11 florescences, first and second node with a well-developed leaf, the lowermost one with sheath 12–19 cm long, petiole (0–) 0.3–1.2 cm long, pulvinus 0.4–0.8 cm long, blade 13–27 × 7.3–10.5 cm, subsequent node with a bladeless sheath, first internode 8.5– 12.5 cm long, peduncle 15–25 cm long, hirtellous to hirsute, hairs ± appressed. Main florescence 8–11 cm long with 8–14 unilaterally arranged bracts, first internode 0.8–1 cm long, peduncle 1–1.7 cm long; lowermost bract 2.1–2.3 × ca 0.7 cm, pale green, subpapyraceous, hirtellous to hirsute throughout; first prophyll 14–15 mm long, puberulent to appressed-hirtellous on back and at apex. Flowers 5–6 per bract, white; pedicel ca 1 mm long; ovary ca 2 mm long, glabrous; sepals 5–6.5 × ca 1 mm; corolla tube ca 17 mm long, outside hirsute towards lobes, inside glabrous, lobes ca 4.5 × ca 2 mm; outer staminode solitary; stamen and theca unknown; callose staminode ca 4 × ca 4 mm, petaloid apically, with a shelf-shaped callus at ca 3 mm from apex; cucullate staminode ca 3 mm long, appendage ca 1 mm long; style ca 3 mm long (tripped). Capsule 15–17 mm long; seed unknown.

Distribution and habitat:—Known only from the type locality, where it was found in a cloud forest at ca 700 m elevation.

Discussion:— Monotagma remotum is most similar to M. haughtii , from which it differs in having caudate leaf apices (vs. acuminate), a shorter synflorescence peduncle (15–25 vs. 33–68 cm), and a longer first synflorescence internode (8.5–12 vs. 1.3–2.8 cm). It was collected and first identified as a new species by Helen Kennedy.

Paratypes:— CULT . Lyon Arboretum (orig. from Cerro Jefe, Panama), January 1985, Kennedy 4469 ( GB); Lyon Arboretum, December 1985, Nagata 3437 ( GB) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Monotagma isotypes at GB. A, M. papillosum; B, M. remotum; C, M. humile; D, M. flavicomum.