Monstera kikiae Zuluaga & M.Cedeño, 2021

Zuluaga, Alejandro, Cedeño-Fonseca, Marco & Mittermeier, Michael, 2021, Two new species of Monstera (Araceae: Monsteroideae) from the Pacific slope of the Andes in Colombia, Phytotaxa 527 (2), pp. 134-142 : 135-137

Monstera kikiae Zuluaga & M.Cedeño sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Monstera kikiae is characterized by having white or mottled petioles; petiole sheaths thick and slightly persistent reaching the base of the geniculum; blades with one or two series of rounded, elongated, or oblong fenestrations, the larger fenestrations extending over the midrib or towards the margin; and inflorescences with the spathe yellowish green externally and white internally at anthesis.

Type: — COLOMBIA. Departamento de Risaralda: municipio Pueblo Rico, veredas la Selva y Montebello, límite del Parque Nacional Natural Tatamá , 5°14’59.6”N, 76°04’49.0”W, 1400 m asl, 3 June 2019, A. Zuluaga, L. Clavijo & A. Muñoz 3201 (holotype CUVC!, isotype COL!)

Robust nomadic vine, growing terrestrial on rocks or appressed-climbing, fertile 1–3 m above the ground. JUVENILE PLANTS: root climbers; appressed against the surface of the phorophyte; stem dark green or brown, internodes 3–8 cm long, 1.5–2.0 cm in diameter; leaf with petiole visible; petiole green with white dots, smooth, 6–15 cm long, sheathed half the length of the petiole up to the base of lamina or geniculum; petiole sheath partially deciduous; leaf blade ovate, coriaceous, 9–17 × 6–13 cm, obtuse to sub-cordate, acuminate, not appressed against the phorophyte, with or without fenestrations, fenestrations in one series. ADULT PLANTS: root climbers; stem green or dark beige, opaque, round, internodes 1–6 cm long, 1.5–4.5 cm diameter; support and feeder roots dark brown or black; leaves erect blade almost erect; petiole white or green with white dots, smooth, 36–52 cm long, 1.8–2.3 cm diameter, sheathed 1 cm before or to the base of the geniculum; petiole sheath thick, partially deciduous, sometimes only the margin deciduous; geniculum smooth, 3–5 cm long; blade coriaceous, lanceolate to ovate, 45–72 × 14–28 cm, obtuse to subcordate at the base, decurrent without undulations over the geniculum, acuminate at the apex; midrib slightly grooved above, convex below; primary lateral veins 11–22 per side, impressed above, prominently raised below; secondary veins parallel, collecting vein visible on margin; fenestrations in one or two series, holes rounded, elongated or oblong, that extend over the midrib or toward the margin, margins generally entire or less often lobed by fenestrations that extend to the margin and rupture. INFLORESCENCES born on ascending or creeping stems; peduncle smooth, 24–32 cm long; spathe long acuminate, initially light green turning yellowish green externally, internally white at anthesis; spadix white turning yellowish cream at anthesis, 10–15 cm long, 1.5–2.0 cm diameter; basal sterile flowers 4–5 mm long, with orange secretion; fertile flowers 6–8 mm long; stamens with laminar filament, 1.5–7.0 mm long; anthers 2.0– 2.5 mm long; ovary rectangular in longitudinal section and ridged, 3–5 mm long, 2–3 mm diameter; style hexagonal, 1.5–2.0 mm long, 2.5–3.5 mm diameter; stigma linear, stigmatophore cupular; berries with the postanthesis stylar layer cream, maturing unknown; pulp unknown; seeds unknown.

Etymology: —The epithet “ kikiae ” refers to Kiki Woods, the daughter of Jonas Woods and Shio Kusaka, two influential artists and conservationists who are using their artwork to support projects protecting the delicate forest and ecosystems of the Chocó.

Distribution and habitat: — Monstera kikiae is an endemic species from Colombia, known so far from Antioquia and Risaralda Departments. It inhabits the humid forests of the Pacific slope of the Colombian Andes, in the transition between the Chocó and Tropical Andes hotspots. It has been found in the Premontane Rain Forest life zone between 1100–1500 m ( Fig. 2 ).

Phenology: —Flowering has been recorded between May and July and fruiting has been recorded for January.

Preliminary conservation assessment: — Monstera kikiae has been found in two regions more than 100 km apart. Both are located inside protected areas, Tatamá and Las Orquídeas National Natural Parks, with an Extent of Occurrence (EOO) of 51.568 km 2. Within each region, Monstera kikiae is widespread and abundant. Despite being known from only two localities, and based on the EOO and the good quality of the habitat, we considered the species LC (Least Concern) according to the IUCN classification of endangered species ( IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee, 2014).

Notes: — Monstera kikiae differs from all other species of the genus in Colombia by the unique combination of leaf blades completely perforated with one or two series, the fenestrations rounded, elongated, or oblong, and larger fenestrations extending from the midrib to the leaf margin; inflorescences with spathes green yellowish externally at anthesis; and the cupular stigmatophore.

The kind of perforations in M. kikiae is only found in endemic species from Talamanca mountain range between Costa Rica and Panama, such as M. epipremnoides Engler (1905: 118) , Monstera lentii Croat & Grayum in Grayum (1997: 46) and Monstera oreophila Madison (1977: 54) ( Fig. 3 ). It differs from M. epipremnoides by its entire blades occasionally lobed (vs. deeply pinnatifid), cupular stigmatophore (vs. conical), and from M. oreophila by its secondary veins 2–4 cm apart (vs. secondary veins 1 cm apart or less) and spathes green yellowish externally at anthesis (vs. pink) ( Table 1).

Paratypes:— COLOMBIA. Departamento Risaralda: municipio Pueblo Rico, vereda Montebello , Parque Nacional Natural Tatamá , cuenca del río Taibá , Montezuma Reserve & Ecolodge, 5º13’48’’ N, 76º5’1’’ W, 1344 m asl, 4 May 2013, Clavijo, L., J.L. Clark & Y. Tapasco 1806 (COL!). Departamento Antioquia: municipio Urrao, vereda Calles Abajo, Parque Nacional Natural Las Orquídeas, sector Venados, 6º30’50.7’’ N, 76º17’23.2’’ W, 1190 m asl, 29 July 2011, A. Zuluaga et al. 836 (COL!) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Distribution map for Monstera momoi. (circles) and Monstera kikiae. (triangles). National Natural Parks are shown in green from top to bottom Las Orquídeas, Tatamá and Farallones de Cali.

FIGURE 3. Comparison of Monstera momoi, Monstera kikiae and similar species. A-B, Monstera momoi. C-D, M. dissecta. E-F, M. kikiae. G-H, M. oreophila. A, Leaf blade. B, Petiole apex showing the sheath and geniculum. C, Petiole apex showing the sheath and geniculum. D, Leaf blade. E, Leaf blade. F, Inflorescence in post-anthesis. G, Inflorescence in anthesis. H, Leaf blade. Photographs A-D by Marco Cedeño; F-H by Alejandro Zuluaga.

FIGURE1. Monstera kikiae sp. nov. A, Infructescence. B, Undeveloped inflorescence. C, Juvenile plant. D, Fertile flower in lateral view (left) and in longitudinal section (right). E, Sterile flower in lateral view (left) and in longitudinal section (right). F, Stylar cap, dorsal view (left), and individual stamen (right). G, Adult plant. Photographs by Marco Cedeño.