Philodendron pogonocaule
Epiphytic, often appressed; internodes short on adults, 2-4.5 cm diam., (2-6 cm long on younger plants), dark green, semiglossy; eataphylls 12-37 cm long, medium to dark green to reddish (at least at base), and unribbed when young, sharply D-shaped to sharply 2-ribbed as an adult, soon dark red-brown, persisting semi-intact, fibrous at base, at first mushy, finally as pale fibers; petioles (10-) 28-80 cm long (averaging 54.5 cm), 4-7 mm diam., terete to obtusely flattened adaxially or obtusely 3-ribbed toward apex adaxially, dark to medium green, matte, closely pale-striate to conspicuously pale-streaked, conspicuous; blades ovate-cordate to narrowly ovate-cordate, acuminate at apex, subcordate to cordate at base, (20-) 29-65 cm long, 18-40 cm wide (averaging 51.5 x 30 cm), 1.4-1.9 times longer than broad, 0.7-1.3 times length of the petioles, broadest at or slightly above point of petiole attachment, slightly to moderately bicolorous, subcoriaceous; upper surface dark green and matte to velvety; lower surface yellow-green, slightly paler and weakly to moderately glossy; anterior lobe (17-)28-45 cm long; posterior lobes (5-)3-20 cm long, (9-) 14-20 cm wide, directed slightly inward; sinus parabolic to spathulate, (5-) 8-14 cm deep, 4-8 cm wide; midrib flat to broadly sulcate or broadly convex (Croat 73786) and scarcely to moderately paler above, bluntly acute, narrowly rounded, or convex and much darker below; basal veins 5-8 pair, weakly coalesced (primarily on older blades) for up to 7 cm; posterior rib naked for first 1-4 cm; primary lateral veins 7-9 per side, departing midrib at 55°-75° angles, ascending to margin, paler, obtusely to narrowly and conspicuously sunken above, convex to nearly round-raised, matte and much darker below; minor veins moderately obscure to moderately visible, fine, close. INFLORESCENCES erect to erect-spreading, 1-2 (-4) per axil; peduncle 9-12 (-20) cm long, 4-6 mm diam., pale green to whitish, coarsely striate; spathe erect, 8-12 cm long, narrowly acuminate at apex, white (pale green-streaked at base) greenish on back side, maroon on front side; spathe tube ovoid, 4-5 cm long, 2-2.5 cm diam. greenish white and glossy at anthesis inside, becoming maroonish post-anthesis (except whitish along margins), brownish maroon outside post-anthesis; spathe blade white suffused with maroon at base; spadix with pistillate portion pale green, 2.3-3.5 cm long, 1.1-1.3 cm diam.; staminate portion 5.2-5.7 cm long, 1.2-1.4 cm diam. at widest, 0.9-1.0 cm diam. at constriction; sterile staminate 1.2-1.6 cm long; sterile staminate flowers 1.8-3.2 mm long, irregular in shape; pistils (post-anthesis) 5 mm long, 2.3-3.5 mm diam.; locules 3.3 mm long, 5 per ovary; ovules 2.2 mm long, 7-12 per locule with axile placentation. INFRUCTESCENCES with spathe to 20 cm long, the tube to 4.5 cm diam.; berries greenish white; seeds 2 mm long, constricted near apex, tan, finely ridged longitudinally.
Philodendron pogonocaule ranges from Colombia (Narino) to Ecuador (Canar, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Los Rios, Manabi, Pichincha), at elevations of 60-1,950 m, in Premontane dry forest, Premontane moist forest, Premontane wet forest and Tropical moist forest. In La Planada, the species is occasionally seen along the ridge at the end of the trail above La Posada and along the Sendero Natural.