Philodendron brevispathum Schott

Terrestrial or hemiepiphytic; stem scandent, coarsely scabrous, densely covered with trichome-like, often branched scales; internodes elongate, 7.5--14(23) cm long, 8--15 mm diam., longer than broad, epidermis reddish brown, loosening and flaking, without fissures; roots drying tan to dark brown, few per node; cataphylls 6--9 cm long, soft, unribbed, green, drying dark reddish brown, eventually deciduous; LEAVES: petioles 10--43 cm long, 3--7 mm diam., subterete to bluntly C-shaped, somewhat spongy; blades ovate to ovate-triangular, concolorous, semiglossy, thin, acuminate at apex, cordate at base, 16--36 cm long, 11--26 cm wide (1.4--2 times longer than wide), (0.8--1.6 times longer than petiole), broadest at or above middle, upper surface semiglossy, lower surface semiglossy; anterior lobe 12--30 cm long, 10.8--24 cm wide (1.3--2.4 times longer than posterior lobes); posterior lobes somewhat triangular to narrowly triangular to rounded, or rounded to with hastate or flaring lobes, 5--15 cm long, 4.9--11.5 cm wide, subacute; sinus narrow or sometimes V-shaped, 9--11 cm deep; midrib sunken above, convex to raised, drying slightly paler below; basal veins 3--4 per side, with 1 free to base, coalesced 4--10 mm, or with 2--3 veins colaesced to 3 or 4 cm; posterior rib not naked or obscurely and briefly naked to 0.5 cm long; primary lateral veins (3)4--5 per side, departing midrib at a 55--70º angle, gradually ascending to the margins, weakly sunken above, convex and drying slightly darker below; interprimary veins almost as conspicuous as primary lateral veins; minor veins arising from both the midrib and primary lateral veins; tertiary veins visible and darker than surface below. INFLORESCENCES erect, 1 per axil; peduncle 1--7 cm long, 2.5--5 mm diam., subterete; spathe 6--10.5 cm long, (1.4--4.6(9) times longer than peduncle); spathe blade green outside, red inside; spathe tube green to greenish white outside, 4--4.5 cm long, 2--2.5 cm diam., green to white inside; spadix sessile; 7--9.5 cm long, whitish to yellowish; pistillate portion 2--3 cm long, 3.5 cm diam. throughout; staminate portion 5--7 cm long; fertile staminate portion 5--10 mm diam.; sterile staminate portion 5--6 mm diam.; ovary ca. 6-locular, with axile placentation; ovules 6--14 per locule, 0.3--0.4 mm long, longer than funicle; funicle 0.2 mm long, adnate to lower part of partition, style similar to style type B; stylar canals emerging at base of pronounced apical depressions; style apex drying dark brown with a pale undulate margin and a central solitary stigmatic pad; the androecium truncate, prismatic, margins distinctly scalloped, irregularly 4--5-sided, 0.9 mm long; thecae oblong, 0.4 mm wide, nearly contiguous. INFRUCTESCENCE with peduncle 4 cm long, spathe 5--6 cm long; spadix, 3.5--4 cm long, 2.5 cm wide; berries pale yellow, 6 mm long, 3 mm diam.; seeds 4--6 per berry, oblong to weakly ovoid, 1.4 mm long, 0.4--0.5 mm diam.