Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592
CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011. araceae.e-monocot.org
Conservation status for Stenospermation ellipticum must be considered as LC (Least Concern) according to IUCN Red List criteria (IUCN, 2001), because it is known from many collections and has been found in Antioquia, Choco, and Valle Departments.
Planta epiphytica, raro terrestris; internodia 5–15 mm longa, 1.5–3 cm diam., plerumque basibus petiolorum obtecta; cataphylla decidua; petiolus 16.5–49 cm longus, teres, anguste sulcatus, prope basim striatus, vaginatus usque ad medium, vagina atrovirenti maculata; lamina elliptica, late rotundata, apice abrupte acuminata, 23.5–35 cm longa, 8.3–17 cm lata, nitida; inflorescentia 1; pedunculus 21–34 cm longus, in sicco 2–3 mm diam., cernuus; spatha viridis; spadix sessilis, 5.5–6.5 cm longus, flavus; stigma rotundum, 0.3–0.5 mm diam.
The species is known to occur in Colombia on the western slopes of the Cordillera Occidental in the Departments of Choco and Valle and the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central in the Department of Antioquia. It occurs in Premontane wet forest transition to Tropical (P-wf/T) and Tropical rainforest transition to Premontane (T-rf/P) life zones (Holdridge et al., 1971), from 30 to 1440 m elevations. This new species has been collected from primary forest, disturbed forest, and along forested stream banks.
Epiphytic, rarely terrestrial; stem appressed-climbing; internodes short, often obscured by petiole bases, 5–15 mm x 1.5–3 cm, as long as broad; roots few per node; cataphylls deciduous. LEAVES erect to erect-spreading; petioles 16.5–49 cm, yellow-green, semiglossy, longitudinally striate near base, terete to subterete above sheath, weakly to narrowly sulcate above sheath, petiole and sheath drying dark olivebrown; sheath 10.5–23 cm, 0.3–0.6(0.8) times as long as petiole, densely dark green-speckled; margin of sheath drying papery and pale, one margin acute and one margin rounded at apex; blades elliptic, coriaceous, rarely subcoriaceous, broadly rounded and abruptly acuminate at apex, obtuse at base, 23.5–35 x 8.3–17 cm, 1.7–3.1 times longer than wide, 0.6–1.6(1.9) times longer than petiole, broadest at middle, upper surface glossy to semiglossy, dark green to yellow-green, drying conspicuously glossy, dark olivegreen, many minute white raphides easily visible with a 10x lens, lower surface semiglossy to matte, paler to much paler than above, drying glossy and slightly paler than above; midrib narrowly sunken and marginally discolorous above, convex and paler below; primary lateral veins departing midrib at 30o–50o angles, weakly visible to obscure above, obscure below, drying raised above, barely raised below. INFLORESCENCES 1 per axil, erect; peduncle 21–34 cm x 2–3 mm (dry), cernuous; spathe green, promptly deciduous; spadix sessile, cylindrical, 5.5–6.5 cm x 6–7 mm (dry), yellow. Flowers hexagonal to irregularly square; stigma round, 0.3–0.5 mm diam.; stamens with filaments to 1 mm long; thecae oblong. INFRUCTESCENCE unknown.
Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co
