Philodendron meridense G.S.Bunting

Scandent herb up to 5 m long. Stem dark green, soon weak-grey brown, 2.5-3.5 cm in diameter, internodes 10-13 cm long. Cataphyll 31-32 cm long, pale green or ivory-white, suffused towards the margin with bright ('laete') green, pale green and sparsely ('soreo')-spotted, dorsally slightly one-keeled ('unicarnatum'), caducous. LEAVES: Petiole firm-spongy, sappy, subterete in the upper part ('sursum'), ventrally slightly flattened, 58-61 cm long and up to 1.8 cm thick, green and dark green striate, sheathed at the base for 7-8 cm, broadly winged for 1.5 cm wide and violet margined. Leaf blade reflexed, succulent-sub-coriaceous but friable, cordiform, shortly acuminate at the apex, up to 51-61 cm long, and 38-45 cm wide, margin slightly undulate and translucent yellow-pinkish-margined (0.1 cm); primary veins ca. 5 on each side, ascending, emerging at an angle of 50º-65º; primary veins of the posterior lobes 3-4 towards the base, joined together into a short posterior rib barely naked in a parabolic sinus. Adaxially rather glossy, dark green, and glaucescent, midrib flattened or moderately convex pale green, 1 cm wide, primary veins sulcate; abaxially glossy, pale green, midrib convex and primary veins strong, deep green. INFLORESCENCES slender, in 3s to 5s. Peduncle green, 8.5-13 cm long and 0.8-1 cm thick. Spathe 13.5-14 cm long, almost cylindric (unopened), apex acuminate, green and red spotted or suffused with pink, eventually all green; around anthesis tube barely differentiated, ca. 8.5 cm long and 1.7 cm thick, green externally, internally deep cherry red, blade externally and internally ivory white. Spadix somewhat shorter than the spathe, sessile, subcylindric, 1-1.2 cm thick; female zone 4.8 cm long, sterile male zone 0.5 cm long, and fertile male zone 5-6.8 cm long. Pistillate flowers sub-oblong seen from the side, ovaries 6 (5-7) locular, locules 1-2-ovulate, ovules affixed near the base.