PHILODENDRON APPENDICULATUM

PROTOLOGUE: Philodendron appendiculatum , published in Boletim de Botánica, Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade de São Paulo 17: 50 (1998).

Philodendron appendiculatum Nadruz & Mayo, sp. nov. Philodendron inops Schott affine sed petiolo quam lamina longiori, spatha medio constricta, spadice zona sterili apicali instructa differt. Typus: Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, Nova Friburgo, Macaé de Cima, Sítio Sophronites, estrada e picada, M. Nadruz et al. 780, 03.XI.92 (holotypus RB, isotypus K).

DISTRIBUTION: SE. Brazil: Brazil Southeast.

DISTRIBUTION NOTE: iNaturalist: Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION:

Translated from protologue: Stem cylindrical to slightly angular at the apex, 1.3–3.0 cm diam., slightly glossy green at the apex, becoming greyish green to cinereous; internodes (1.3–)3.0–4.0(–6.0) cm long. Roots 3.0–4.0 mm diam., pale green to yellowish green, later becoming pale brown. Prophyll greenish when young, becoming pinkish green to pink with greenish keels, 10.5–29.0 cm long, 5.5 cm wide at the base. Petiole cylindrical to slightly flattened on the adaxial face, 32.5–39.5 cm long and 0.6–1.0 cm diam., green with dark longitudinal striations, slightly glossy. Sheath 3.0–5.5 cm long, in the adult flowering sympodial unit. Leaf blade when young ovate-cordate, 17.0–18.5 cm long, 9.0–12.0 cm wide, when adult sagittate, (24.0–)29.0–36.5 cm long, (12.0–)14.0–18.7 cm wide, chartaceous, discolorous green, paler on the abaxial face and glossy on both sides, margin entire, sometimes yellowish to pink. Anterior division (17.5–)20.5–27.0 cm long, 10.4–15.5(–19.5) cm wide, apex obtuse to slightly acuminate. Midrib concolorous on both sides. Primary lateral veins 3–5 pairs, impressed on the adaxial face, prominent on the abaxial face and concolorous to paler on both faces, with glandular lines on the abaxial face. Interprimary veins well developed. Posterior division with retrorse lobes, (5.5–)7.2–11.5 cm long, (12.0–)13.4–17.2 cm wide, acroscopic veins 0–2 and basioscopic veins 0–2. Sinus parabolic-spathulate.

INFLORESCENCE:

Translated from protologue: Floral sympodium with 2–3 inflorescences. Peduncle (2.5–)4.5–6.5 cm long and 0.9 cm diam. at the apex, the peduncle/spathe junction dark green and rarely purplish. Spathe 10.0–11.5 cm long, externally whitish green to white and internally white with small, numerous, paler dots, pronouncedly constricted with strong differentiation between blade and tube; blade 5.0–6.8 cm long, 1.3 cm wide; tube 4.4–4.8 cm long, 1.2 cm wide. Spadix 8.5–11.5 cm long, with resin canals below the male flowers; apical sterile staminate zone white, 3.5 cm long, 1.0 cm diam.; fertile staminate zone white, 2.9 cm long, 0.9 cm diam.; basal sterile staminate zone white, 1.7 cm long, 0.5 cm diam.; pistillate zone green, 3.3 cm long and 0.8 cm diam. Stamens 3–4(–6) per flower, 1.0 mm long, 0.8–1.0 mm wide at the apex. Staminodes: apical ones 1.3 mm long, 1.0 mm wide at the apex; basal ones 1.8–2.1 mm long, 0.3–1.1 mm wide at the apex. Gynoecium 1.5 mm long, 1.0 mm wide at the apex, ovary white, locules (7–)8–9, ovules 0.6 mm long, 2–3(–4) per locule, inserted at the base of the septum and arising from a single point, stylar region intensely green and stigma discoid.

ECOLOGY:

Found in very humid, shaded places in montane Atlantic rainforest above 1100 m, growing as a hemi-epiphyte and frequent in the Macaé de Cima area.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin appendiculatus, “furnished with a small appendage” or “appendiculate,” referring to the sterile terminal appendage of the spadix; the authors state that the name derives from this apical sterile appendix, which also distinguishes the species from the closely related Philodendron inops.

NOTES:

1. Philodendron appendiculatum is very close to Philodendron inops, from which it differs in the shape of the leaf blade, where the anterior division is not elongate, and in the greater length of the petiole relative to the blade; in the presence of a constriction in the median portion of the inflorescence, on both the spadix and the spathe, whereas in Philodendron inops the spathe and spadix are cylindrical (Schott, 1859); and in bearing a terminal sterile zone on the spadix.

2. Following the IUCN criteria (Carauta 1989), the species was considered protected, in view of its extensive occurrence documented by botanical collections.

REFERENCES:

1. Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — Philodendron appendiculatum

2. Boletim de Botánica, Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade de São Paulo 17: 50 (1998) — protologue.

3. iNaturalist: Philodendron appendiculatum

Additional photo by David Scherberich