MONSTERA CENEPENSIS

PROTOLOGUE: Monstera cenepensis Croat, published in Rodriguésia 56: 96 (2005).

Monstera cenepensis Croat, sp. nov. Planta hemiepiphytica; internodia, brevia, 1.2 cm diam.; petioli 48 cm longi, 6–7 mm diam. in sicco; laminae ovatae, 43.5 cm longae, 18.5 cm lata, infime subcordata; nervis primariis 12 utroque; pedunculus 19.5– 20 cm longus; spadice 5.6–6 cm longus, 10– 12 mm diam. Type: Peru. Amazonas: Condorcanqui, El Cenepa, Tutino, headwaters of Tutino, 4°34’31"S, 78°11’34"W, 300 m, 22 July 1997, R. Rojas, A. Peña & E. Chávez 133 (holotype, MO04920432; isotypes, K, USM).

DISTRIBUTION: N. Peru: Peru.

DISTRIBUTION NOTE: Peru: Amazonas (Peru).

SPECIES DESCRIPTION:

Hemiepiphytic; internodes short, 1.2 cm diam., drying blackened, matte, conspicuously warty. Petioles 48 cm long, drying 6–7 mm diam., 1.1 times longer than the blade, narrowly flattened adaxially with marginal ribs, becoming obtusely sulcate toward the apex, obtusely ribbed around the circumference, dark brown toward the base, in part pale yellow-brown, sheathed 7.5 cm long at base; geniculum 3 cm × 5 mm, drying blackened; blades ovate, 43.5 × 18.5 cm, 1.5 times longer than wide, semiglossy, drying thinly coriaceous, blackened above, dark brown below, inequilateral and acute at apex, weakly subcordate and inequilaterally weakly attenuate at base, inequilateral, one side 1.5 times wider; midrib weakly raised and slightly darker above, thicker than broad, obtusely several-ribbed, minutely granular, slightly darker than the surface; primary lateral veins 12 per side, arising at an acute angle then spreading at 30–50° angle in upper half of the blade, 70–85° toward the base, convex and concolorous above, convex and paler below; minor veins arising from both the midrib and the primary lateral veins, becoming subparallel and mostly unbranched in the proximal ½ of the blade, but with frequent branching toward margins, very weakly raised and concolorous on lower surface; sinus shallow, ca. 2.5 cm deep, broadly arcuate.²

INFLORESCENCE:

Inflorescence with peduncles 19.5–20 cm long, drying dark yellow-brown, matte; prophyll 11 cm long, drying dark brown; spathe not seen, spadix 5.6–6 cm × 10–12 mm; pistils 1.6–2 mm long, less than 1 mm diam.; style dark brown-black, matte, densely papillate, ellipsoid to subrounded 2.8– 3.2 × 2.6–3.0 mm; stigma 2.2–2.4 × 0.2–0.3 mm, the margins raised and pale brown; stamens 1.4 mm long, thecae 0.4 mm wide. Infructescence brown.²

ECOLOGY:

Monstera cenepensis is known only from the type locality in the Río Cenepa region at 300 m in the Premontane wet forest life zone.²

ETYMOLOGY:

The epithet refers to the Río Cenepa region of Amazonas Department, Peru, the only known locality.²

REFERENCES:

1. Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — Monstera cenepensis Croat

2. Rodriguésia 56: 96 (2005) — protologue.