Anthurium talamancae Engl.

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 : 671

Anthurium talamancae Engl. ( Fig. 5D)

Material examined. Parque Nacional Darién. Serranía de Pirre, Rancho Plástico; 07°59′13″N, 077°42′28″W; 1127 m; 30 Jul. 2016; O. O. Ortiz 2639 ( PMA).

Identification. This species is characterized by its epiphytic habit, short stems and internodes, intact and deciduous cataphylls in most of the upper nodes, subcordate (sometimes slightly cordate) blades, three to five pairs of basal veins (usually three fused together and two free), 10 to 13 primary lateral veins per side, green reflexed spathes and violet spadices. Previously, it was considered a synonym of Anthurium cuspidatum Mast. (Croat 1986; Grayum 2003), but is now currently considered an accepted name (see Croat and Ortiz 2016). Anthurium talamancae is similar to the sympatrics Anthurium sp. 3 and A. cerropirrense Croat , but both differs mainly in having free basal veins and reddish to reddish-purple spadices (for more differences, see the notes on both species).

Distribution and ecology. Costa Rica, Colombia, and Panama. This species is relatively rare on Cerro Pirre. Along the elevation gradient it only ocurrs in the montane cloud forest above 1100 m. Generally, it grows as an epiphyte on the lower branches of the host trees (between 3 and 5 m).