Anthurium brevispadix López-Flor., Marco Correa & Zuluaga, 2024

López-Floriano, Oscar Mauricio, Correa-Munera, Marco A. & Zuluaga, Alejandro, 2024, A new species of Anthurium sect. Tetraspermium (Araceae) for eastern slope of the Andes Mountains Range, Phytotaxa 653 (3), pp. 297-300 : 298

Anthurium brevispadix López-Flor., Marco Correa & Zuluaga , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Epiphytic pendent, internodes short 1.9–2.1 cm long, cataphylls persisting as fibers at upper nodes, later deciduous at the lower nodes, petioles 2.1–2.5 cm widely sulcate adaxially, with marginal ribs and a middle one forming two narrow canals; blades oblongnarrowly elliptic, 9.0– 12.3 cm long, 1.0– 1.3 cm wide; inflorescences erect, spathe reflexed, 6–8 mm long, spadix tapered, 6–8 mm long.

Type:— Colombia, Depto. Caquetá, municipio de Florencia, vía Florencia-Suaza (7º42’53.77” N, 75º42’28.60” W). 1260 msnm. 2023-09- 13, Oscar López, Marco Correa, Daniela Montalvo 401 (holotype HUAZ!, isotypes COL!, CUVC!).

Epiphyte herb., pendent; stem 1.7 mm diam; internodes short, 1.9–2.1 cm long., 1.9 mm diam.; cataphylls 1.7–3.4 cm long., persisting as fibers at upper nodes, later deciduous at the lower nodes, reddish brown, drying dull brownish yellow; petioles 2.1–2.5 cm long, widely sulcate adaxially, with marginal ribs and a middle one forming two narrow canals, green, drying black or greenish yellow; geniculum 0.3–0.5 cm long, dark green; blades oblong–narrowly elliptic, 9.0– 12.3 cm long, 1.0– 1.3 cm wide (averaging 10.6 × 1.2), 9.0–9.4 time longer than broad, 0.20–0.23 time long as petiole, attenuate at apex, attenuate at base, coriaceous, matte, dark green adaxially, pale green abaxially, drying dull brownish yellow above, dull greenish yellow below, black puntactions present at both surfaces; midrib acute, raised above, dark green, prominent below, pale green; primary lateral veins 9–13 pairs per sides, arising at angle 18–30º, weakly raised above and slightly prominent bellow, concolorous at both surfaces; collective veins arising from the base, extending straight to apex, 1.5–2.0 mm from the margin. INFLORESCENCE erect, peduncle 3.0– 4.1 cm long, 0.3 mm diam., weakly ribbed, equaling or longer than petioles, dark red; spathe 6–8 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, oblong, reddish green, reflexed at anthesis, acuminate at apex; spadix light pink and light green towards apex, stipitate 1.0– 1.5 mm long, light green, tapered, 6–8 mm long, 1.6–1.8 mm diam.; flowers 2–3 per spiral, 2 mm long and wide, lateral tepals 1 mm, 1.5 mm wide, anterior tepal 0.4 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, posterior tepal 0.5 mm long, 0.6 mm wide; Fruits not seed.

Etymology:— The epithet specific “ brevispadix ” from Latin brevis “short”, in reference to the small size of its spadix, which helps to distinguish the species from others in section Tetraspermium .

Distribution and ecology:— This species has only been recorded in the eastern slope of the Andes in Florencia-Caquetá. According to Holdridge et al. (1971) the life zone corresponds to wet premontane forest.

Notes:— Anthurium brevispadix can be confused with A. obtusum ( Engler 1898: 357) Grayum (1997: 35) , however, A. brevispadix has oblong-narrowly elliptic leaves, 9.0– 12.3 cm long, 1.0– 1.3 cm wide (vs. ovate–elliptic to lanceolate, 8–17 cm long, 3.0– 7.5 cm wide), collective vein 1.5–2.0 mm from margin (vs. 5–12 mm from margin), spathe deflexed at anthesis, reddish green (vs erect spathe at anthesis, greenish white), spadix 6–8 mm long (vs. 2–4 cm long), flowers per spiral 2–3 (vs. 3–6 flowers per spiral). May also be confused with A. scandens ( Aubler 1775: 836) Engler (1878: 78) , but A. brevispadix has petioles widely sulcate adaxially, with marginal ribs and a middle one forming two narrow canals (vs. petioles sharply sulcate, rounded abaxially), leaves oblong-narrowly elliptic, 9.0– 12.3 cm long, 1.0– 1.3 cm wide (vs. ovate-elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic leaves, 6–13 cm long, 2–5 cm wide), primary lateral veins 9–13 per side, arising at angle 18–30º (vs. 3–10 primary lateral veins per side, arising at angle 35–40º), spathe 6–8 mm long, reddish green (vs. spathe 8–16 mm long, pale green), spadix 6–8 mm long, light pink and light green towards apex (vs. 13–20 mm long, yellow-green to lavender).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Anthurium brevispadix López-Flor., Marco Correa & Zuluaga. Habit (A); Leaf blades, adaxial and abaxial surfaces (B), black puntactions on the underside of the leaf (C); Cataphylls (D); Inflorescense (E); spadix (F); spathe (G).