Anthurium tysonii Croat

CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011. araceae.e-monocot.org

General Description

Usually terrestrial; stems 10 cm or more long, ca. 2 cm diam., leaf scars ca. 1 cm wide, mostly obscured by cataphylls; roots moderately thick, green, descending; cataphylls subcoriaceous, 15-24 cm long, acute at apex with minute subapical apiculum, drying brown (B & K. Yellow 4/5-4/7.5), persisting intact. LEAVES with petioles erect-spreading, 26-58 cm long, 5-7 mm diam., narrowly sulcate, the margins acute, sometimes several ribbed abaxially; geniculum 2-3 cm long; blades moderately thick, ovate, acuminate at apex, deeply lobed at base, (16-)28-49 cm long, (11-) 22-36 cm wide, broadest at point of petiole attachment or just above; anterior lobe (15-)23-34 cm long, the margins rounded, posterior lobes (4.2-)9-13 cm long, from apex of sinus to outermost point; sinus triangular to hippocrepiform, usually acute at apex; upper surface semiglossy with conspicuous round raphide cells; lower surface glossy; midrib acutely raised from base to middle, flat to weakly sunken toward apex above, acutely raised below; basal veins (3-)5-6 pairs, free to the base, sunken above, raised below, posterior rib absent; primary lateral veins 3-6 per side, departing midrib at 40-45° angle, sunken above, raised below, more or less straight to collective vein; interprimary veins weakly sunken above, obscure below; collective vein arising from the first or second basal vein, 3-5 mm from margin, sunken above, raised below. INFLORESCENCE erect, shorter than leaves; peduncle 10-24 cm long, 4-6 mm diam., one-half to one-third as long as petiole; spathe subcoriaceous, pale green, ovate to broadly lanceolate, 6-10 cm long, 2-4.5 cm wide, broadest near the base, long-acuminate to cuspidate at apex, rounded, more or less clasping at base; spadix pale green to creamy white, turning violet purple at anthesis, scarcely tapered at apex, (4.5-)6-10 cm long, 8-10 mm diam. near base, 6-8 mm diam. near apex; flowers rhombic, 1.7-1.9 mm long, 1.8-2.1 mm wide, the sides sigmoid, 6-9 flowers visible in the principal spiral, 11-15 flowers visible in the alternate spiral; lateral tepals ca. 1.1 mm wide, the inner margin convex; pistils scarcely emergent; stigmas linear; stamens emerging in a scattered manner, laterals usually emerging throughout before alternates emerge; anthers held at edge of tepals; thecae ovate. INFRUCTESCENCE erect; spathe usually reflexed; spadix 8-10 cm long, 2-2.3 cm diam.; immature berries rounded at apex, white to pale purple.

Habitat

Tropical wet forest.

Distribution

Endemic to Panama and is known from the vicinity of Cerro Jefe and Altos de Pacora. It is also recorded in Santa Rita in Colon.