Anthurium rupicola (Araceae)
Epipetric; stems less than 10 cm long, 1-1.5 cm diam.; internodes short; leaf scars hidden by cataphylls; roots numerous, descending, ca. 3 mm diam.; cataphylls 3-4.5 cm long, thin, green, acuminate at apex, promptly weathering to fine, tan, persistent fibers. LEAVES erect-spreading; petioles terete to ellipsoid in cross-section, or flattened adaxially with a medial rib, 8-19 cm long, usually one-half to three-fourths as long as the blade; geniculum ca. 1 cm long; blades subcoriaceous, narrowly oblong-elliptic to rarely lanceolate-oblong, gradually acuminate at apex (the acumen apiculate), narrowly acute at base, 14-22 cm long, 2.2-4 cm wide, broadest usually at the middle; both surfaces semiglossy, drying more or less matte, sparsely and inconspicuously glandular-punctate on the upper surface, conspicuously glandular-punctate on the lower surface; midrib prominently raised on both surfaces; primary lateral veins 8-10 per side, scarcely or not at all more conspicuous than the interprimary veins, departing midrib at 55°-70° angle, straight or weakly curved to the collective vein; interprimary veins numerous, drying prominulous on both surfaces; collective vein sunken above, raised below, generally more prominent than the lateral veins, inconspicuously loop-connecting the primary lateral veins. INFLORESCENCE erect-spreading, usually several per plant at flowering time; peduncle terete, 12-28 cm long, 2-3 mm diam.; spathe green, moderately thin, lanceolate, 2.5-4.7 cm long, 5-10 mm wide, broadest usually just above the base, abruptly to gradually acuminate at apex, acute at base, inserted at 45° angle on peduncle; stipe usually to 5 mm long; spadix white at anthesis, moderately tapered to apex, 2.5-4.5 cm long, 3-5 mm diam. near the base, 2-3 mm diam. near the apex; flowers subquadrangular, 2-2.6 mm long, ca. 2.5 mm wide, 3-4 flowers visible in the principal spiral, 4-6 visible in alternate spiral; tepals semiglossy, the lateral tepals 1-1.4 mm wide, the inner margin thin, obtusely angular, stamens retracted after anthesis; anthers 0.6 mm long, 0.8 mm wide, thecae ovoid, divaricate; pistil early emergent and beginning to color long before maturity. INFRUCTESCENCE erect; berries (dried) subglobose, beaked at apex, red to violet purple, 4-5 mm diam.; seeds 2, tan to brown, 2.4÷2.8 mm long, 1.8-2.1 mm diam., 1-1.3 mm thick, encased in a thin, gelatinous envelope, scarcely elongate at either end.
Central Panama in the Provinces of Cocle and Veraguas. Also found in Ecuador.
Tropical wet and premontane rain forest life zones. The species has been consistently collected on rocks or along the edge of fast moving streams.