Dieffenbachia longispatha Engl. & K. Krause

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 : 673

Dieffenbachia longispatha Engl. & K. Krause ( Fig. 2E)

Material examined. Middle slopes on W side of Cerro Pirre; 07°57′N, 077°46′W; 550–760 m; 28 Jun. 1988; T. B. Croat 68854 ( MO). Parque Nacional Darién, vicinity of Cerro Pirre base camp, along trail near E side of Río Paracida; 08°00′N, 077°48′W; 0–80 m; 1 Jul. 1988; T. B. Croat 68971 ( MO). Ibid., vicinity of station along Río Perisenico; 08°01′N, 077°44′W; 110 m; 26 Jul. 1994; T. B. Croat 77101 ( MO). Ibid., Cerro Pirre, campamento cerca del segundo mirador; 07°59′43″N, 077°42′39″W; 708 m; 2 Dec. 2016; O. O. Ortiz 2704 ( PMA).

Identification. This species is characterized by its terrestrial and robust plants (usually greater than 1 m) with copious milky sap, a strong foul aroma, greenish blades when dry, decurrent petiole sheaths at apex and spadices with the sterile medial region. Croat (2004) included a specimen (Croat 68854) collected at Cerro Pirre under D. nitidipetiolata Croat & Grayum , but it turned out to be D. longispatha . D. nitidipetiolata differs from D. longispatha by having very glossy petioles (similar to a varnished surface) and female portion of spadix with moderately closely spaced pistils

Distribution and ecology. Colombia and Panama. It is relatively common on Cerro Pirre. It grows both in the semideciduous and evergreen forests, usually between 150 and 800 m. It usually forms colonies on flat sites near the banks of streams or in semi-shady forested areas.