Philodendron ligulatum var. heraclioanum Croat

Ortiz, Orlando Oriel, de Stapf, María Sánchez, Baldini, Riccardo Maria & Croat, Thomas Bernard, 2019, Synopsis of aroids (Alismatales, Araceae) from Cerro Pirre (Darién Province, Panama), Check List 15 (4), pp. 651-689 : 679-680

Philodendron ligulatum var. heraclioanum Croat

( Fig. 7D).

Material examined. Vicinity of base camp on W side of Cerro Pirre; 08°00′N, 077°48′W; 50 m; 30 Jun. 1988; T. B. Croat 68963 ( MO). Cerro Pirre, vicinity of station along Río Perisenico; 08°01′N, 077°44′W; 110 m; 26 Jul. 1994; T. B. Croat 77098 ( MO). Parque Nacional del Darién, Estación Rancho Frio, N base of Cerro Pirre, ca 9 km S of El Real, in forest along Quebrada Perisenico; 08°01′N, 077°44′W; 70–270 m; 8 Oct. 1987; B. E. Hammel 16145 ( MO). Ibid., Pirre, Rancho Frío, orillas del río Perresenico; 08°01′11″N, 077°43′51″W; 110 m; 1 Dec. 2016; O. O. Ortiz 2695 ( PMA). Ibid., campamento cerca del segundo mirador; 07°59′49″N, 077°42′43″W; 610 m; 3 Dec. 2016; O. O. Ortiz 2719 ( PMA).

Identification. This taxon is characterized by having intact and deciduous two-ribbed cataphylls, and D-shaped petioles in cross section with oblanceolateelliptic blades, variegated with purple spots on the lower surfaces (when fresh), blackish when dry. Philodendron ligulatum var. heraclioanum differs from the other exist- ing varieties ( P. ligulatum Engl. var. ligulatum and P. ligulatum var. ovatum Croat ) by having variegated blades with purple spots on the lower surface and petioles with erect-undulate margins. On Cerro Pirre, P. ligulatum var. heraclioanum can be confused with P. pseudoauric- ulatum Croat, which differs in having terete to subteretes petioles, lacking erect-undulate margins.

Distribution and ecology. Colombia and Panama. In the study area, Philodendron ligulatum var. heraclioanum

has been reported in semideciduous and evergreen forests, between 50 and 800 m.