MONSTERA MINIMA

Species

PROTOLOGUE: Monstera minima Madison, published in Contributions from the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University 207: 72 (1977).

DISTRIBUTION: N. Panama to NW. Colombia: Colombia, Panama.

DISTRIBUTION NOTE: Colombia: Chocó.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION:

Nomadic vine, appressed-climbing habit. Seedlings: unknown. Juvenile plants: unknown. Adult plants: root climbers; stems dark green, cylindrical; internodes 1–2 cm long, 0.5–0.7 cm diam., 2.8–3.0 times longer than wide; anchor and feeder roots black and corky; petiole 2–6 cm long, sheathed up to 3 cm before base of the geniculum, petiole sheath deciduous; unsheathed portion slightly terete; blades lanceolate, narrowly acute at base, long-acuminate at apex, dark green adaxially, slightly paler abaxially, 9–14 × 2.0–4.0 cm, 4.0–5.6 times longer than wide; primary lateral veins 4 or 5 per side, obscure or slightly sunken adaxially, slightly prominent and colorless abaxially, departing midrib at 35–45°, secondary veins not visible; fenestrations absent; margins entire.⁴

INFLORESCENCE:

Inflorescences on ascending stems, erect; peduncle light green, matte, 16–18 cm long, 3–4 mm diam.; spathe acuminate, ellipsoid, matte, creamy externally at anthesis; coriaceous, 6.5–7.5 × 3.2–4.0 cm; spadix white during development, creamy-yellow at anthesis, 4.4 cm long, 0.9–1 cm diam.; fertile flowers prismatic, 2.5 mm diam., 3.5 mm long; immature stamens 1.5 mm long, with laminar filaments 0.5 mm long; anthers 1 mm long, basifixed; style absent; stigma 1.5 mm long, linear⁵; berries with a green stylar cap; pulp white; seeds 0.4–0.5 mm diam.⁴

ECOLOGY:

Monstera minima is known only from the Caribbean coast of Panama (San Blas Province) and along the Pacific slope of northern Colombia (Chocó), at 50–150 m, in Tropical wet forest life zones. It occurs mainly in undisturbed forests in the lower 3 m of the forest, growing over shrubs and small trees in heavily shaded and humid conditions.⁴ The type was collected in fruit on October 27th, 1967; the first flowering collection, from Colombia, was made in March 1999.⁵

ETYMOLOGY:

Latin minima, "very small," this being the smallest known species of Monstera.²

NOTES:

1. The species, a member of sect. Monstera, is characterized by its appressed-climbing habit, petioles sheathed throughout, lanceolate acuminate blades which are acute at base, inconspicuous primary lateral veins as well as by the long-pedunculate inflorescences with a creamy yellow spathe and white spadix. Monstera minima is the smallest species in the section and it can easily be confused with other small species of the section, such as Monstera gambencis, Monstera obliqua and Monstera xanthospatha. Monstera minima differs from these species by the complete absence of perforated blades, peduncle longer than the flowering spadix and leaves (blade and petiole), and by the dark brown-drying leaves. In contrast to Monstera gambencis is endemic from La Gamba, Costa Rica, Monstera minima, Monstera xanthospatha is known only from the Cordillera Central and Cordillera Occidental of Colombia at 600–1700 m and Monstera obliqua is widespread, ranging from Costa Rica to French Guiana, Brazil and Bolivia.⁴