Philodendron rothschuhianum (Engl.) Croat & Grayum

Hemiepiphytic to epiphytic or rarely terrestrial; stem appressed-climbing, creeping, sap watery, leaf scars conspicuous, 2 cm long, 2.5 cm wide; internodes short, semiglossy, 1.8--3 cm long, 1.5--3 cm diam., about as long as broad, gray-green, epidermis fissured; roots scurfy, few per node; cataphylls fleshy, soft, 16--23 cm long, unribbed then sharply 2-ribbed at apex, or bluntly 2-ribbed throughout or weakly 1-ribbed throughout, green, short dark striate, semiglossy, deciduous, emarginate with subapical apiculum at union of ribs at apex. LEAVES erect-spreading to spreading; petioles 33--71 cm long, 3--13(20) mm diam., subterete, moderately spongy, medium green, obtusely 1-ribbed near apex adaxially, surface weakly glossy, densely green striate; sheath inconspicuous; blades deeply 3-lobed, subcoriaceous, weakly bicolorous, gradually acuminate, long to very long acuminate at apax (the acumen inrolled, 1--2.5 mm long), more or less hastate at base, 22--42 cm long, 25--57 cm wide (0.6--1 times longer than wide), (0.5--1 times the petiole length), about two-thirds as long as petiole, upper surface semiglossy, lower surface weakly glossy, slightly paler; sinus hippocrepiform; median lobes 16--39.5 cm long, 7--20 cm wide; lateral lobes narrowly ovate, 14--28 cm long, 5--17 cm wide, directed toward apex, broadly confluent 2--5 cm with medial lobe, the margins undulate; midrib sunken to narrowly concave, paler than surface above, almost round-raised, paler than surface below; basal veins 10--15 per side, the remainder arranged in a more or less regular manner in the posterior lobe, coalesced in part throughout much of their length into a central rib; posterior rib usually not naked, sometimes naked for 1 cm, rarely to 2.5 cm; primary lateral veins 5--12 per side, departing midrib at a 50--65º angle, narrowly sunken, concolorous above, convex below; interprimary veins sunken and concolorous above, raised, almost as conspicuous as primary lateral veins below; minor veins darker than surface below, arising from both the midrib and primary lateral veins. INFLORESCENCES erect, 2--3(9) per axil; peduncle 5.2--21 cm long, 5--10 mm diam., medium green, densely lineate; spathe (6.5)8--14(16) cm long, (0.6--2.2 times longer than peduncle), markedly constricted above the tube; spathe blade pale green to greenish white to yellowish green outside, to ca. 5 cm wide when open, ca. 2.4 cm diam. at constriction, greenish white to creamy white inside; spathe tube ellipsoid, 4--7 cm long, pale green to yellowish green outside, greenish to greenish white to creamy white inside; spadix very short stipitate; somewhat protruding forward at anthesis, 10.5 cm long, constricted at base of fertile staminate portion; pistillate portion pale lime-green, 3.7 cm long in front, 2.5 cm long in back, 1--1.3 cm diam. at apex, 1.2--1.4 cm diam. at middle, 1.2 cm wide at base; staminate portion 6.4--9.3 cm long; fertile staminate portion creamy white, clavate, 1 cm diam. at base, 1.3 cm diam. at middle, 1 cm diam. ca. 1 cm from apex, usually broader than the pistillate portion; sterile staminate portion broader than fertile portion or pistillate portion, creamy white, 1.6--1.9 cm diam. at base, 1.3--1.4 cm. diam. at apex; pistils 1.6--2.6 cm long, 1.2 mm diam.; ovary 5--7-locular, 0.8 mm long, 1.1 mm diam., with sub-basal placentation; locules 0.8 mm long, 0.3--0.4 mm diam.; ovule sac 0.6 mm long; ovules 1 per locule, contained within translucent, gelatinous ovule sac, 0.3--0.5 mm long, longer than funicle; funicle 0.1--0.3 mm long, (can be pulled free to base), style 0.6 mm long, 1.2 mm diam., similar to style type B; style apex sloping to rounded; stigma brush-like, hemispheroid, 0.7--1 mm diam., 0.3--0.6 mm high, covering entire style apex; apex drying button-like, with or without radial ridges from center; the androecium truncate, oblong, more or less prismatic, margins irregularly 4--6-sided, 1--1.6 mm long, 1.5--1.9 mm diam. at apex; thecae oblong, 0.4 mm wide, more or less parallel to one another, nearly contiguous; sterile staminate flowers blunt, sometimes clavate or prismatic or irregularly 5--6-sided or 3--6-sided, 1.7--2.3 mm long, 1.6 mm wide. INFRUCTESCENCES: Berries pale green or pale yellow-green to greenish white, 4 mm long, 2.5 mm diam.; seeds 1--3, medium green, (1.2)2.1--2.3 mm long, 0.6--0.8 mm diam., within thin envelope. JUVENILE plants with petioles sheathed to about midway; blades with posterior lobes hastate, acuminate at apex, promptly auriculate on posterior margin, broadly confluent with anterior margin on anterior margin.