PHILODENDRON CORREAE
PROTOLOGUE: Philodendron correae , published in Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 84: 421 (1997).
Philodendron correae Croat, sp. nov.
Planta hemiepiphytica aut raro terrestris; internodia obtuse complanata uno latere, usque 7 cm longa, 1.5 cm diam.; cataphylla (8)13–16 cm longa, incostata, decidua; petiolus D-formatus, 7–16.5 cm longus, plus minusve spongiosus; lamina plus minusve oblonga, rotundata vel leniter subcordata basi, 21–46 cm longa, 5–12 cm lata; nervis lateralibus 4–6 utroque, leniter visibilibus supra; inflorescentia 1; pedunculus 10.5–12 cm longus; spatha 15–18.4 cm longa, extus flavialba, intus leviter pallidior; interdum viridis basi, tubo intus suffuso obscure rubro; pistilla 5–6-locularia; loculi 1-ovulati.
Type: Panama. Chiriquí: Gualaca–Chiriquí Grande, vic. Lago Fortuna, along trail to meteorological station on Río Hornito departing from N side of highway, ca. 0.5 km S of Centro de Científicos, 8°45'N, 82°18'W, 24 July 1994, Croat & Zhu 76395 (holotype, MO-4619416; isotypes, B, CAS, COL, CR, F, K, NY, PMA, US, VEN).
DISTRIBUTION: W. Panama to NW. Colombia: Colombia, Panama.
SPECIES DESCRIPTION:
Hemiepiphytic or rarely terrestrial; stem appressed-climbing or spreading; sap viscous, unscented; internodes obtusely flattened on one side, moderately glossy, to 7 cm long, to 1.5 cm diam., usually much longer than broad, medium green to tannish, drying gray, epidermis becoming grayish brown and peeling; roots mostly 15–30 cm long, drying 2–3 mm diam.; cataphylls (8)13–16 cm long, unribbed, green, deciduous, turning mushy; petioles 7–16.5 cm long, (3)6–15 mm diam., D-shaped, obtusely flattened (drying usually sulcate) adaxially, somewhat spongy, narrowly rounded abaxially, with adaxial margins raised, the surface with a conspicuous purple-black ring around the apex; sheathing usually to near the apex, with margins erect and incurled, the tip free-ending; blades somewhat oblong, subcoriaceous, semiglossy, conspicuously to moderately bicolorous, abruptly long-acuminate or sometimes acute at apex (the acumen inrolled if present), rounded to weakly subcordate at base, 21–46 cm long, 5–12 cm wide (3–5 times longer than wide), (ca. 2–4 times longer than petiole); upper surface semiglossy, dark green to medium green, drying dark brown to blackish brown, lower surface glossy and slightly to moderately paler; sinus 5–12 mm deep; midrib flat to broadly convex, paler than surface above, convex or thicker than broad and bluntly acute, darker than surface below; basal veins lacking; primary lateral veins weak, 4–6 per side when present but sometimes not apparent, departing midrib at a 60–70° angle, arcuate to the margins, slightly sunken, weakly visible above, convex, slightly darker than surface, weakly visible below; minor veins fine, moderately visible to distinct, arising from both the midrib and primary lateral veins.
INFLORESCENCE:
Inflorescences 1 per axil; peduncle 10.5–12 cm long, 5–6(14) mm diam., subterete; spathe coriaceous, 15–18.4 cm long (1.43–1.75 times longer than peduncle), weakly or not at all constricted, spathe blade yellow-white (B & K yellow-red 9/7.5–10 at anthesis) throughout, slightly paler inside; spathe tube sometimes green outside, 6.5–7.5 cm long, 1.6–2 cm diam., slightly paler and tinged dull red inside; spadix 8–19 cm long; stipitate 7–10 mm long; pistillate portion green to pale yellow, cylindrical, 7.9 cm long, 1.3–1.4 cm diam. throughout; staminate portion 4–8.4 cm long; fertile staminate portion tapered; pistils glossy, 3.3–3.8 mm long, 2.3–2.6 mm diam.; ovary 5–6-locular, with sub-basal placentation; ovules 1 per locule; style similar to style type C; style funnel shallow, sometimes deep subcylindric; style apex rounded, somewhat flat, with a simple funnel; stigma more or less discoid, covering the interior faces of the stylar funnel. Infructescence (post-anthesis) with seeds 1 per locule, 1.5–1.7 mm long, 7–8 mm diam.
ECOLOGY:
Found in western Panama (Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro provinces) at 780–1400 m elevation, in Premontane rain forest and Tropical Lower Montane rain forest.
ETYMOLOGY:
Named in honor of Mireya D. Correa A., named in the protologue as among the first scientists to collect in the Fortuna area of Chiriquí, Panama, and as the first person to collect this particular species there.
NOTES:
1. Philodendron correae is a member of Philodendron sect. Calostigma subsect. Glossophyllum ser. Glossophyllum. This species is distinguished by its internodes generally longer than broad; more or less oblong, dark brown- to black-drying blades with rounded to weakly cordulate bases; primary lateral veins only weakly visible; and solitary inflorescences with the spathe blade yellowish white on both inner and outer surfaces.
2. Philodendron correae is closest to Philodendron ligulatum, which differs in having rather prominent primary lateral veins and by occurring at generally lower elevations (sea level to 900 m). One collection is noteworthy in having blades that dry greener than is usual for the species; it also has a Type B style, while the only other specimen studied for ovules had a Type C style. The difference may be due to the age of the flowers, but the situation warrants further investigation.
REFERENCES:
1. Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — Philodendron correae
2. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 84: 421 (1997) — protologue.
3. iNaturalist: Philodendron correae
Additional photos from iNaturalist by ramon_d