Philodendron elegantulum (Araceae)
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.
Apparently endemic to the massif known as "Santa Rita ridge," on the Atlantic slope of Panama between Buena Vista and Portobelo in Colón Province.
Probably in the Tropical Wet Forest life zone.