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Araceae
Philodendron henry-pittieri G.S.Bunting
SUMMARY
Large scandent herb. Stem up to at least 3 m long, 6.5-8 cm thick, internodes 2.5-7 cm long, at first bright green, finally pale grey brown. Cataphylls 56 cm long, externally green, internally white, soon brown, persisting with finely fibrous remains, finally dissappearing. LEAVES: Petioles subterete, ventrally flattened and convex from the middle towards the top, 1[?]5-140 cm long and 2.5-3 cm thick, green marked with paler green striations, in the lower part, sheathed for 11-23 cm. Leaf blade up to 92-125 cm long and 70-107 cm wide, reflexed moderately thick, somewhat succulent, easily broken, ('nervosa'), outline broadly ovate, cordate towards the base, broadly obtuse towards the apex with an acumen, margins undulate, posterior lobes semicircular 2[?]-33 cm long, almost or completely touching, separated by a semicircular, hippocrepiform or mitre-shaped sinus, or overlapping, enclosing a somewhat obovoid sinus. Adaxially deep glossy green, midrib yellow-green, moderately concave to 1.3 cm wide, primary lateral veins canaliculate or sunken, 7-8 on each side of the midrib, arcuately spreading at an angle of 45-60º, secondary veins sulcate, subparallel but tertiary [veins] emerge from the primaries at various angles. Up to 4 primary veins emerge from the outside of the [posterior] ribs, [posterior] ribs thickly concave, sinus naked for 2.5-4 cm. Abaxially midrib pale green, thick angular-convex, [posterior] ribs and main veins prominent. INFLORESCENCES in threes. Peduncle 10-15 cm long, greenish, below the apex marked with raised white longitudinal striations. Spathe 21-25 cm long, acuminate-cuspidate at apex (1 cm), tube subcylindric-ellipsoid, 9-10 cm long and 3-3.5 cm thick eventually 11.5 cm long and 4.7 cm thick, externally and internally deep cherry coloured, occasionally at the base or at least continuing on the blade margin, upper blade externally and internally ivory-coloured, 2.8-3.6 cm thick (unopened). Spadix slightly shorter than the spathe, subsessile but front axis naked for 0.2-0.3 cm, obtuse at apex, up to 20-22 cm long, female zone 5-6.7 cm long and 2.3-2.5 cm diam.; sterile male zone 3-4.5 cm long, 2.1-2.4 cm diam. below, 1.7 cm above; fertile zone ca. 10-11.5 cm long and 1.7-2.1 cm diam. Pistillate flowers: ovaries 5(-6)-locular, ovules in each locules numerous, positioned at the top.