Philodendron hederaceum var. kirkbridei Croat

CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011. araceae.e-monocot.org

Phenology

Flowering in Philodendron hederaceum var. kirkbridei occurs during the late dry season and early rainy season (probably as early as March and as late as September) based on post-anthesis and early fruiting collections. No collections have been made at anthesis. Immature fruits have been collected in April, July, and August.

Habitat

Premontane wet forest and Tropical wet forest.

General Description

Hemiepiphyte; internodes 2--28 cm long, 1--2.5 cm diam., weakly flattened on one side with two sharply raised ribs on the side above petiole, very weakly sulcate on the opposite rounded side, prominently ribbed throughout its circumference, the ribs smooth or prominently warty, 2--28 cm long, 1--2.5 cm diam., medium to dark green, matte, drying reddish brown; cataphylls 6--19 cm long, unribbed or sometimes weakly 2-ribbed, deciduous intact; LEAVES: petioles (6.5)8--22.5 cm long, 3--6 mm diam.; blades (11)16--29.5(42) cm long, (8)10.3-23(35) cm wide; upper surface medium to dark green, drying brown to greenish brown, lower surface medium green, glossy, drying brown to greenish brown; primary lateral veins 3--4 per side, departing mdirib at a 45--50º angle. INFLORESCENCES 1 per axil; peduncle 5.5--7.5 cm long; spathe 14--24 cm long, spathe blades yellow-green becoming cream colored toward apex outside, lighter green inside; spadix stipitate to 1 cm; 13--20 cm long; ovary 5-locular, 20--25 ovules per locule. INFRUCTESCENCE with about 24 seeds per locule.

Distribution

Ranges from Costa Rica to Ecuador. The variety has been collected only once in both Suriname and Ecuador. It was collected in Ecuador at Reserva ENDESA (0º5'N, 79º02'W), an area of Premontane rain forest. It is to be expected in Colombia.