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Araceae
Philodendron elegantulum Croat & Grayum
SUMMARY
Woody'' vine ascending to at least 10 m on tree trunks. Internodes 0.3-5.2 cm long, 0.3-0.6 cm wide, drying yellowish brown (older stems drying medium brown), coarsely sulcate. LEAVES: Petiole 2.7-5.2 cm long, P/L=(0.22-) 0.29-0.34 (-0.38), extensively sheathed, the sheath erect to involute, slightly prolonged apically (to ca. 0.15 cm); unsheathed portion of petiole obsolete to ca. 0.25 cm long. Lamina (8.8-) 10.5-15.9 cm long, 3.6-5.7 cm wide, L/W=(2.32-) 2.69-3.29 (-3.44), IQI=1-7, lanceolate, elliptical, or oblanceolate (broadest from slightly below to slightly above the middle), ± narrowly acute to acuminate apically (the acumen ca. 0.5-1.4 cm long), broadly cuneate basally; primary lateral veins (5-) 6-8 per side, (0.3-) 1.2-2.5 cm apart, with interprimary veins visible especially above; abaxial laminar surface drying very evenly low-granular, the minor and reticulate veins abundant and prominulous, with abundant white stitching visible to the naked eye; resin canals ± visible; adaxial surface very evenly and conspicuously granular, the minor and reticulate veins prominulous; white stitching occasional; resin canals not visible. INFLORESCENCE always solitary; cataphylls regularly 1-2 per spathe, 3.3-8.9 cm long, 0.5-1.2 cm wide, narrowly to broadly lanceolate (occasionally with a brief foliose tip) , with a medial costa (probably 2 closely approximate keels); peduncle 0.3-1.3 cm long, P/S= (0.04-) 0.08-0.16; spathe at anthesis (5.4-) 6.9-9.2 cm long, 1.4-1.8 (-2.5) cm wide, externally green or yellow-green; spathe drying very densely and evenly granular externally and internally, with longitudinal secretory striations to ca. 2/3-3/4 to apex; acumen of spathe obsolete to ca. 0.35 cm long. Stipe of spadix 0.2-0.5 (-0.9) cm long, adnate to spadix; spadix 5.1-8.1 cm long, the fertile male portion 0.5-0.7 cm wide, white; sterile male zone 0.2-0.4 cm long; female portion of spadix 1.5-2.4 (-3.1) cm long, F/S=0.29-0.38, 0.6-1.2 cm wide, pale green to cream; fertile male flowers 1.2-1.8 mm long, (0.5-) 1.0-2.0 mm wide, irregularly quadrangular to polygonal; sterile male flowers 1.2-2.0 mm long, (0.6-) 1.0-1.6 mm wide, obconical, with beeswax texture in distal 2/3 and raphides proximally; female flowers 1.6-2.3 mm long, 0.6-1.2 mm wide, the stylar canals not seen. INFRUCTESCENCES: Ripe fruits unknown. Seeds unknown.