Philodendron cotonense Croat & Grayum

Hemiepiphytic vine or sometimes terrestrial; stem appressed-climbing but with ends often divergent, fertile to at least 5 m; leaf scars conspicuous, 1-1.3 cm long, 1.2-1.3 cm wide; internodes terete, semiglossy, sometimes matte, drying irregularly ridged, 1-3 cm long, 2.5-3 cm diam., usually broader than long, green, soon becoming gray to silvery-gray, drying yellowish brown, epidermis sometimes flaking free; roots short, stubby, light-colored at tips; cataphylls 18-31 cm long, unribbed to sharply 1-ribbed, yellow-green to green, promptly deciduous intact; LEAVES: petioles 17.5-53.5 cm long (averaging 34.4 cm long), 5-8 mm diam., subterete, weakly spongy, dark green, obtusely flattened, especially toward the apex adaxially, with abaxial margins broadly rounded, surface pale greenish lineate, semiglossy; blades narrowly ovate-triangular, subcoriaceous, usually gradually acuminate at apex (the acumen 1-3.5 cm long), prominently lobed at base, 23-45 cm long (averaging 35 cm long), 11.5-20.5 cm wide (averaging 15 cm wide), (0.7-1.4 times as long as petiole), broadest near point of petiole attachment, moderately bicolorous to almost concolorous, upper surface drying dark brown to dark olive-green, semiglossy, lower surface weakly glossy, usually yellow-brown, sometimes yellow-green; anterior lobe 16-31 cm long, margins weakly convex to flat or concave; posterior lobes 6-16.5 cm long, 3-8 cm wide, broadest at or near the middle, sometimes narrower at point of petiole attachment; sinus parabolic to obovate or almost oblong, 5-7.5 cm deep; midrib flat to weakly sunken, concolorous to paler than surface above, convex, paler than surface, often tinged purple (with coloration continuing onto petiole apex) below; basal veins 3-4 per side, the first often free to base (sometimes all free to base), the second and third coalesced 1-2.5(4.5) cm; posterior rib usually not naked except sometimes for up to 5 mm at the base; primary lateral veins (3)4-5(6) per side, departing midrib at a 30--65Hemiepiphytic vine or sometimes terrestrial; stem appressed-climbing but with ends often divergent, fertile to at least 5 m; leaf scars conspicuous, 1-1.3 cm long, 1.2-1.3 cm wide; internodes terete, semiglossy, sometimes matte, drying irregularly ridged, 1-3 cm long, 2.5-3 cm diam., usually broader than long, green, soon becoming gray to silvery-gray, drying yellowish brown, epidermis sometimes flaking free; roots short, stubby, light-colored at tips; cataphylls 18-31 cm long, unribbed to sharply 1-ribbed, yellow-green to green, promptly deciduous intact; petioles 17.5-53.5 cm long (averaging 34.4 cm long), 5-8 mm diam., subterete, weakly spongy, dark green, obtusely flattened, especially toward the apex adaxially, with abaxial margins broadly rounded, surface pale greenish lineate, semiglossy; blades narrowly ovate-triangular, subcoriaceous, usually gradually acuminate at apex (the acumen 1-3.5 cm long), prominently lobed at base, 23-45 cm long (averaging 35 cm long), 11.5-20.5 cm wide (averaging 15 cm wide), (0.7-1.4 times as long as petiole), broadest near point of petiole attachment, moderately bicolorous to almost concolorous, upper surface drying dark brown to dark olive-green, semiglossy, lower surface weakly glossy, usually yellow-brown, sometimes yellow-green; anterior lobe 16-31 cm long, margins weakly convex to flat or concave; posterior lobes 6-16.5 cm long, 3-8 cm wide, broadest at or near the middle, sometimes narrower at point of petiole attachment; sinus parabolic to obovate or almost oblong, 5-7.5 cm deep; midrib flat to weakly sunken, concolorous to paler than surface above, convex, paler than surface, often tinged purple (with coloration continuing onto petiole apex) below; basal veins 3--4 per side, the first often free to base (sometimes all free to base), the second and third coalesced 1-2.5(4.5) cm; posterior rib usually not naked except sometimes for up to 5 mm at the base; primary lateral veins (3)4-5(6) per side, departing midrib at a 30-65º angle (70-90º angle near base), weakly curved to the margins, sometimes drying undulate, often prominently downturned at midrib, sometimes tinged purplish, scarcely to weakly sunken above, narrowly raised below; minor veins obsure to clearly visible, arising from both the midrib and primary lateral veins, close and almost indistinguishable from the secretory canals, secretory canals appearing as intermittent lines, usually more prominently down-turned at the midrib and appearing to crossover the minor veins, drying blackened. INFLORESCENCES 1-2 (usually solitary, sometimes 2) per axil; peduncle (6.5)10-17.5 cm long, subterete, pale-striate; spathe 11-17 cm long, (0.94--1.6 times longer than peduncle), somewhat constricted above the tube; spathe blade light green to cream-yellow to white outside, pale green to cream-white to white inside; spathe tube dark to medium green, sometimes pale striate-lineate outside, 3-5.5 cm long, 1.3-2 cm diam., maroon to crimson pale red-violet or dark purple inside; spadix sessile, (6.7)10.5-16.5 cm long; pistillate portion green, cylindrical to ovoid, 2 cm long, 4-7 mm diam.; staminate portion 4.2-7.1 cm long; fertile staminate portion to 5 mm diam. throughout; sterile staminate portion whitish to cream-white, to 5 mm diam.; pistils 0.9 mm long; ovary 5-6-locular, 0.6 mm diam., with sub-basal placentation; ovules 4 or 5 per locule, arranged digitately, <0.1 mm long, longer than funicle; funicle <0.1 mm long, style 0.9 mm long, 0.5 mm diam., similar to style stype C; style apex flat, drying with 5-6 depressions alternating with ribs from a raised center; stigma hemispherical, inserted on stylar funnel; the androecium irregularly 3-6-sided; thecae ovate to cylindrical; sterile staminate flowers 0.8 mm long. INFRUCTESCENCE with berries bright orange; seeds drying pale yellow-brown, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.3-1.5 mm long, 0.6-0.7 mm diam., with weak striations, appendages absent. JUVENILE plants with petioles 4.7-7.7 cm long; blades lanceolate (acumen 6.5-10.5 cm long), 1.7-2.5 cm wide.