Monstera monteverdensis M.Cedeño & Croat, Phytotaxa

Croat, Thomas B., Cedeño-Fonseca, Marco & Ortiz, Orlando O., 2024, Revision of Monstera (Araceae: Monsteroideae) of Central America, Phytotaxa 656 (1), pp. 1-197 : 122

36. Monstera monteverdensis M.Cedeño & Croat, Phytotaxa 461 (3): 188. 2020. ( Figs. 58 , 59 )

Type: — COSTA RICA. Puntarenas: Monteverde, Santa Elena, Camino a Selvatura , 1530 m, 11 March 2017, M. Cedeño, M. Fernández & I. Chinchilla 1045 (holotype USJ!, isotype MO!) .

Nomadic vine, appressed-climbing habit. SEEDLINGS: bearing foliage leaves. JUVENILE PLANTS: root climbers; stem light green with white dots; internodes 3–5 cm long, 3–5 mm diam.; petioles conspicuous, dark green or light green, smooth, 8–14 cm long, sheathed throughout its length; petiole sheath deciduous; blades ovate or lanceolate, acuminate at apex, sub-cordate to truncate at base, with or without fenestrations (when present, usually on one side of blade, breaking the margin if very close to it), coriaceous, 7–14 × 3–9 cm, not flattened against the phorophyte. ADULT PLANTS: root climbers; stem light brown or beige, smooth, terete; internodes 1.5–3.5 cm long, 1.0– 3.5 cm diam., 1.0–1.5 times longer than wide; anchor roots light brown to brown, 3–6 cm long; feeder roots light brown; petiole dark green with white dots, smooth, 25–50 cm long, sheathed to the middle of the geniculum; petiole sheath involute in young leaves, becoming deciduous; geniculum smooth, flattened adaxially, rounded abaxially, 2–3 cm long; blade ovate to lanceolate in outline, oblique, acuminate at apex, subcordate to obtuse at base, decurrent to the middle of the geniculum, the decurrent portion 1–2 mm wide, coriaceous, 25–60 × 20–30 cm; midrib grooved above, transversally convex below; primary lateral veins 10–15 per side, impressed above, prominently raised below; collective veins slightly visible; fenestrations sparse, rarely near the midrib; margins pinnatifid with 2–8 lobes per side. INFLORESCENCES on ascending stems; peduncle smooth, 14–20 cm long; spathe acuminate, light green and pruinose in developing inflorescences, externally light green and pruinose at anthesis, internally white, leathery, open at the apex, the margins overlapping at base, deciduous after anthesis, 15–20 × 9–14 cm, up to 7 cm longer than the spadix; spadix cream-colored during development, yellowish cream at anthesis, 6–14 cm long, 1.5–4.0 cm diameter; basal sterile flowers 4–6 mm long, with an orange or rusty-red secretion; fertile flowers 5–7 mm long; stamens 1–6 mm long, with filament laminar; anther 2–3 mm long; ovary rectangular in longitudinal section, ridged, 4–5 mm long, 2–3 mm diameter; style hexagonal, 2–3 mm long, 4–5 mm diameter, stigmatophore cupular, 0.5–2.0 mm long, stigma linear to rhombic, with orange or rusty-red discharge. berries with the stylar layer light green during development, maturing white-cream; pulp white; seeds smooth, brown to dark brown, obliquely obovate, 8–10 mm long.

Distribution and ecology: — Monstera monteveredensis is endemic to Costa Rica, occurring on both Caribbean and Pacific slopes of the Cordillera de Guanacaste and Cordillera de Tilarán, and the extreme northwestern part of the Cordillera Central, at 500–2300 m, in Lower montane wet forest, Lower montane rain forest life zones and in the transition zone between Tropical moist forest and Premontane wet forest life zones.

Phenology: —Flowering has been recorded from December to June and in August, and fruiting has been recorded throughout the year.

Discussion: —The species, a member of sect. Monstera , is characterized by its moderately slender stems, nearly fully sheathed petioles with the sheath mostly deciduous or persisting at fragments or fibers, small yellowish brown, narrowly ovate, weakly perforated, short-acuminate, moderately inequilateral leaf blades as well as the inflorescence with the spathe much longer than the stubby spadix.

Monstera monteverdensis has been confused with M. dissecta but that species has larger more prominently pinnate leaves and petioles with a persistent sheath. Other species with which Monstera monteverdensis has been confused with M. epipremnoides and M. lentii , but it differs from M. epipremnoides by its deciduous (vs. persistent) petiolar sheaths, and pinnatifid leaves with few lateral lobes (2–8 per side) and few fenestrations or none (vs. pinnatifid with numerous lateral lobes (8–15 per side) with several fenestrations at either side of the midrib). It differs from Monstera lentii by its deciduous (vs. persistent) petiolar sheaths, thicker spathes, and styles with a cupular stigmatophore of 0.5–2.0 mm (vs. a conical stigmatophore of 3–4 mm).

Additional specimens examined: — COSTA RICA. Alajuela: San Ramón, Peñas Blancas, Evergreen cloud forest and wet wind-gap formations (lower montane and premontane rain forest life zone) on and near the Continental Divide about 2 to 5 km east and southeast of Monteverde, 1650 m, 17 October 1978, (Fr.), M. Thomas 738 (CR!, MO!); Woods on Atlantic side of Alto Palomo, 1900 m, 3 January 1970, (Fr.), R. Lent 1846 (CR!); San Carlos, La Fortuna, Finca El Jilguero, Cumbre del Volcán Chato, 1140 m, 25 November 1992, (Fr.), G. Herrera 5647 (CR!); R.F. Grecia, En bosque secundario, Bosque del Niño, 1700 m, 2 October 1986, (Fr.), G. Umaña 104 (CR!); Reserva Forestal Grecia, 1000 m, 16 Enero 1987, (Fl.), G. Herrera 405 (MO!); San Ramon, Small patch of primary cloud forest on N slope of Cerros Pata de Gallo, 1480 m, 18 November 1988, (Fr.), M.H. Grayum 9093 (MO!); San Ramon, Along road from San Ramón northward through Balsa, 700–800 m, 29 August 1979, (Fr.), W. Stevens 13860 (MO!); San Ramon, Along road from San Ramón northward through Balsa, 1100–1150 m, 10 September 1979, (Infer.), W. Stevens 14129 (MO!); Along road between San Ramón and Balsa, 1200 m, 2 February 1979, (Fr.), T.B. Croat 46841 (MO!); San Ramón, Ángeles, R.F. San Ramón, Ca. 10 km west of Lagitos; in forest on ridge and secondary woods along Río San Lorencito, 950 m, 30 May 1986, (Fl.), B.E. Hammel et al. 15239 (CR!, MO!); San Ramón, Angeles, Estacion Rio San Lorenzo, 800 m, 22 April 1994, (Fl., Fr.), Z. Fuentes 757 (CR!); Guanacaste: Cañas, Palmira, Agua Caliente, subiendo el Volcán Tenorio, 1326 m, 19 December 2015, (Fr.), M. Cedeño & M. Campos 847 (USJ!); Liberia, Curubandé, Estacion Las Pailas; sendero a Santa Maria, 1200 m, 29 May 1994, (Fr.), D. Garcia 259 (CR!); Cañas, Palmira, Agua Caliente, subiendo el Volcán Tenorio, 1326 m, 19 December 2015, (Fr.), M. Cedeño & M. Campos 846 (USJ!); Tilarán, Quebrada Grande, R.B. Monteverde, 1 km N Las Nubes Village, 8 km NW Monteverde, premontane rain forest, 200 m, 31 August 1989, (Fl.), W. Haber & W. Zuchowski 9520 (CR!); Tilarán, Tronadora, R.B. Monteverde, 3.5 km N Santa Elena on road to San Gerardo, 0.5 km N of junction road and Río Negro, Lower montane wet forest, 1540 m, 20 August 1988, (Fl.), W. Haber & W. Zuchowski 8619 (CR!); Tilarán, Tronadora, R.B. Monteverde, Trayecto de la Torre a Río Negro, división entre Alajuela - Puntarenas y Guanacaste, entre las vertientes Pacífica y Norte, 1650 m, 21 January 1988, (Fr.), W. Haber & E. Bello 8021 (CR!); Tilarán, Quebrada Grande, Quebrada Grande, Tilaran, Sendero Esperanza-Las Nubes, Division Continental, Bosque pluvial premontano, 1300 m, 24 February 1987, (Fr.), W. Haber 6685 (CR!, MO!); La Cruz, Santa Cecilia, P.N. Guanacaste, La Cruz - 9 km al sur de Santa Cecilia, Estación Pitilla, 700 m, 28 September 1990, (Fr.), C. Chávez 187 (CR!, MO!); La Cruz, Santa Cecilia, P.N. Guanacaste, La Cruz - 9 km al sur de Santa Cecilia, Estación Pitilla, 700 m, 24 October 1990, (Fr.), C. Chávez 297 (CR!); La Chirripa ridge, 1000 m, 8 May 1986, (Fl.), W. Haber 4858 (MO!); Río Chiquito valley, 700 m, 12 April 1986, (Fr.), W. Haber 4456 (MO!); Río Chiquito de Tilaran, Río Negro, 1450 m, 1 July 1986, (Fr.), W. Haber 5168 (MO!); Guanacaste, Cañas, Palmira, Agua Caliente, subiendo el Volcán Tenorio, 1326 m, 19 December 2015, (Fr.), M. Cedeño & M. Campos 843 (USJ!); Guanacaste, Cañas, Palmira, Agua Caliente, subiendo el Volcán Tenorio, 1326 m, 19 December 2015, (Fl.), M. Cedeño & M. Campos 845 (CR!); Guanacaste, Tilarán, Tilarán, Camino a Tilarán, 1325 m, 21 November 2018, (Fr.), M. Cedeño & A. Cascante 1502 (USJ!); Heredia: Colonia Virgen del Socorro, Cariblanco. 1000 m, 3 June 1983, (Fl.), C. Chacón & B. Ocampo 67 (CR!); Heredia, Barva, Concepción, Subiendo al Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, sector Volcán Barva, 2300 m, 26 February 2018, (Fl., Fr.), M. Cedeño et al.1353 (USJ!); San Isidro, Heredia and San José provinces, 1600–1800 m, 13 September 1978, (Fr.), W. Burger 11023 (MO!); Puntarenas: Puntarenas, Monteverde, Santa Elena, Camino a Selvatura, 1530 m, 11 Marzo 2017, M. Cedeño et al. 1045 (MO!, USJ!); 2 km NE Santa Elena on border of Monteverde Reserve, Upper San Gerardo, 1550 m, 20 November 1988, (Fr.), W. Haber 8795 (CR!, MO!); Monteverde community, 1400 m, 15 May 1986, (Fr.), W. Haber 4927 (MO!); Hills above Santa Elena, 1450 m, 11 June 1986, (Fr.), W. Haber 5054 (MO!); Puntarenas, Monteverde, Monteverde community, Pacific slope, 500 m, 28 August 1989, (Fr.), W. Haber 9336 (CR!, MO!); Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 1600 m, 14 January 1986, (Fr.), W. Haber 4274 (MO!); Puntarenas, R.B. Monteverde; Cordillera de Tilarán, Cerro Ojo de Agua, 1600 m, 24 August 1993, (Fl.), E. Bello 5235 (CR!, MO!); Puntarenas, Monteverde, Community, En faja de bosque perturbado cerca de Divis de Reserva, 1540 m, 23 junio 1977, (fl.), V. Dryer 1521 (CR!).

Figures

FIGURE 58. Monstera monteverdensis from Monteverde, Costa Rica. (A) Developing inflorescence. (B) Open inflorescence, frontal view. (C) Open inflorescence, back view. (D) Mature infructescence, stylar plates detached in the middle part. (E) Fertile flower; in lateral view (left), and longitudinal section (right). (F) Stylar plate with stigma (left) and one stamen (right). (G) Sterile flower; in lateral view (left), and longitudinal section (right). (H) Seeds. (I) Portion of juvenile plant. (J) Portion of adult plant. M. Cedeño et al. 1045 (USJ). Image from Cedeño-Fonseca et al. (2020b).

FIGURE 59. Monstera monteverdensis. Adult plant growing in the forests around Monteverde, Costa Rica. Photo by M. Cedeño-Fonseca. (Not collected).