Description
provided by eFloras
Scandent epiphyte; stems pendent to 2.0 m or more long; internodes 0.4–6 cm long, mostly less than 7 mm diam.; cataphylls 2–4 cm long, promptly weathering to fibers, these spreading then turning upward to form a basket-like structure around the node; petioles 1–5 cm long, 1–3 mm diam., subquadrangular, sharply sulcate adaxially and ribed abaxially, sheathed 6–17 mm; geniculum 4–17 mm long; blades oblong-lanceolate to ovate-elliptic, 6.5–17 cm long, 2.5–7 cm wide, abruptly acuminate at apex, cuneate at base, semiglossy and glandular-punctate on both surfaces, drying yellowish brown; midrib concolorous and thicker than broad to acute, drying almost knife-edged above, drying darker than surface and narrowly acute, convex and slightly paler below, drying somewhat acute; primary lateral veins 8–11, arising at an angle of 40–50 degrees, weakly raised on both surfaces, sightly paler above, darker beneath, flat, drying weakly raised; collective veins 1–2 pairs, arising from the base, the innermost 2–13 mm from the margin, the outer collective vein, when present, usually merging with the margin in the lower 1/3 of blade, rarely extending all the way to the tip of blade. Inflorescence erect-spreading; peduncle 2–16 cm long, 2–3 mm diam., sulcate adaxially and 3-ribbed adaxially, 4–8 times longer than petiole; spathe 0.6–5.8 cm long, 5–10 mm wide, lanceolate, green, tinged red, subcoriaceous, inserted at an angle of 60 degrees, recurved, acute-acuminate at apex, the margins meeting at an obtuse angle at the base; spadix 1.6–16.7 cm long, 2–4 mm diam., 20–25 times longer than wide, green becoming lavender purple to pink or yellow; flowers 5 visible per spiral, rhombic, 2.8–3.5 long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide; lateral tepals 1–2 mm wide, the inner margins convex, stamens 1 mm long. Infructescence to 24 cm long, pendent, turning pale burgundy; berries pale purple turning hyaline to white, subglobose to obovoid, more or less quadrangular in cross-section, flattened at apex, 2–5 mm diam.; pericarp thick; mesocarp transluscent, mucilaginous; seeds 1.8–2.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, elliptic to pateliforme, green, 2–4 per locule.
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- Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
Discussion
provided by eFloras
The species is endemic to Ecuador, between 300 and 1,300 m elevation, ranging from Carchí to Cotopaxi and Los Ríos Provinces. It is to be expected in adjacent Colombia in Nariño Department.
Croat 57071 from Pucayacu had blades velvety and matte above but otherwise appears to match this species very well.
- license
- cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA