MONSTERA COCLENSIS

PROTOLOGUE: Monstera coclensis Croat, published in Phytotaxa 656: 49 (2024).

Monstera coclensis Croat, sp. nov. Type: PANAMA. Coclé: Above El Potroso sawmill at Continental Divide, N. of El Copé, 1200–1300 m, Sytsma & Andersson 4529 (holotype MO-2908952!, isotype PMA!).

DISTRIBUTION: Panama: Panama.

DISTRIBUTION NOTE: Panama: Coclé.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION:

Nomadic vine, appressed-climbing habit. Seedlings: unknown. Juvenile plants: root climbers; stems dark green, minutely spotted, with yellow-brown deciduous epidermis, drying surface dark brown, matte, longitudinally striated; internodes 1–3(10) cm long, 0.6–1.5 cm diam., 1.6–2.0 times longer than wide; blades dark green, minutely stained yellow-brown, drying dark brown, matte, longitudinally striated, cordate or rounded at base, faintly glaucous adaxially. Adult plants: root climbers; stems drying dark brown, matte, ribbed; internodes with a ripped yellow-brown epidermis, shorter than wide, 1.5 cm diam.; petiole pale green, sometimes with pale dots, dark brown when dry, matte, 21–30 cm long, prominently sheathed to base of the geniculum or 1 cm above the geniculum; petiole sheath persistent; geniculum markedly sulcate; blades narrowly ovate-elliptic, equilateral, one side 1–2 cm wide, rounded to obtuse at base, coriaceous, short acuminate, drying dark-green to brown, matte or faintly glossy, (18)32–34 × (6)9–13 cm, (2.1)2.3–2.9 times longer than wide; midrib ribbed adaxially, convex abaxially, drying light-brown or reddish- brown on both surfaces; primary lateral veins 7–10 per side, strongly sunken adaxially, prominent abaxially, departing midrib at 30–45°, drying narrowly convex and concolorous adaxially, narrowly rounded and slightly paler abaxially, secondary veins parallel and prominent, reticulate at the margin; collective veins slightly visible; fenestrations apparently absent; margins entire.²

INFLORESCENCE:

Inflorescences on ascending stems; peduncle smooth, pale green or brown, drying dark, matte to faintly glossy, 13–21 cm long, 5–10 mm diam.; spathe acuminate, white or greenish externally and white or creamy internally at anthesis, completely open in the apical and basal part, drying dark brownish-purple, 11–26 × 8.2–15.0 cm, up to 4 cm longer than the spadix; spadix white or creamy (both during development and a anthesis), 3.7–9.5 cm long, 1.8–2.2 cm diam., 2.1–4.6 times longer than wide; basal sterile flowers 3–4 mm long; fertile flowers 4–6 mm long; ovary rectangular in longitudinal section, ribbed, 3–4 × 1.5–2.5 mm; style rounded to irregularly angular, more or less truncate to markedly sunken at the medial part with raised margins and moderately irregular-lumpy, densely papillose, 3–5 × 1.5–2 mm; stigma yellow-orange, moderately raised, margins slightly paler, narrow and erect; berries unknown; seeds unknown.²

ECOLOGY:

Monstera coclensis is endemic to the Panama from the El Copé region of Coclé region of Coclé Province, in Premontane wet forest at 1200–1300 m. Flowering in January and May.²

ETYMOLOGY:

The species is named for the Province of Coclé, Panama, where it was first collected.²

NOTES:

1. The species is characterized by its petioles sheathed to the geniculum, a persistent sheath, entire, narrowly ovate-elliptic, non-perforate, dark brown-drying blades with the spadix more than twice as long as the spathe.²

2. The species is a member of sect. Monstera, it is probably most easily confused with the morphotype of Monstera epipremnoides from southwestern Costa Rica. That species differs in having more ovate blades, ca 2.1 times longer than broad, a broader petiole sheath, the stigmas subrounded and barely more than 1 mm long and especially by having the spathe only slightly longer than the spadix at anthesis (vs. over 2.5 times longer than wide in Monstera coclensis).²

REFERENCES:

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

2. Phytotaxa 656: 49 (2024) — protologue.