Philodendron smithii Engl.

Usually hemiepiphytic, sometimes terrestrial or epilithic; stem usually appressed-climbing, leaf scars conspicuous, 7 - 15 mm long, 7 - 16 mm wide; internodes glossy, (1)2.2 - 3 cm long, 2 - 3 cm diam., usually longer than broad or about as long as broad, tan or gray-green to dark green, epidermis drying yellow-brown with loose flakes, fissured conspicuously; cataphylls soft, spongy, 12-20 cm long, bluntly to sharply 2-ribbed, green, dark green short-lineate, rounded at apex, drying tannish to yellowish, deciduous, intact. LEAVES: petioles 21.5 - 63 cm long, 4÷16 mm diam., subterete, spongy, medium green, obtusely flattened with obtuse angle toward apex adaxially, surface dark short-lineate, dark with a dark purple-black ring around apex; blades narrowly ovate, subcoriaceous, glossy, moderately bi-colorous, acuminate to long-acuminate at apex (the acumen inrolled, 1-4 mm long), cordate at base, 26.5-53 cm long, 11-31 cm wide (1.2-2.2 times longer than wide), (0.7 - 1.4 times longer than petiole), margins hyaline, convex is lower half of blade, upper surface dark green, drying dark gray-green to yellow-brown, lower surface light greenish, usually drying yellow-green to yellow-brown, sometimes olive-green; anterior lobe 18 - 11 cm long, 18 - 30 cm wide, (1.8 - 2.9 times longer than posterior lobes); posterior lobes (3.2)7.5-16 cm long, 8.7 - 14.2 cm wide, obtuse to broadly rounded; midrib flat to broadly convex, paler than surface above, prominently raised, concolorous below; basal veins (3)4 - 5(6) per side, with 0÷1 free to base, 1-2 coalesced (1.8)2.5-5.5(7.5) cm; posterior rib not at all naked or briefly so, usually 1 - 1.5 cm (rarely to 2 cm); primary lateral veins 3 - 6 per side, darker than surface below, departing midrib at a 50 - 70º angle, ± straight, eventually weakly arcuate to the margins, sunken above, convex below; interprimary veins weakly raised, darker than surface below; minor veins numerous, sparsely visible, darker than surface below, arising from both the midrib and primary lateral veins. INFLORESCENCES erect, 2 per axil; peduncle 9÷22 cm long, (1)9 - 12 mm diam., medium green, moderately spongy; spathe ± erect, 8.8-19.8 cm long, (0.5-1.4 times longer than peduncle), prominently constricted at anthesis; spathe blade yellowish green to green, glossy outside, 7 cm long, 1.7 cm diam., whitish green, minutely white-dotted, sometimes orange-striate inside; spathe tube ellipsoid, green outside, 8.5 cm long, 2.5 cm diam., light red to maroon (B & K red-purple 2/10) inside; spadix stipitate 6 - 15 mm long; gradually to bluntly tapered to apex, 9.3 - 16.9 cm long; pistillate portion pale green to greenish yellow, 3.3 - 5.2 cm long in front, 2.2-2.5 cm long in back, 1.4 cm diam. at apex, 1.3 - 1.6 cm diam. at middle, 1.6 cm wide at base; staminate portion 6.5 - 11.3 cm long; fertile staminate portion creamy white, 9 - 12 mm diam. at base, 1 - 1.2 cm diam. At middle, 5 - 7 mm diam. ca. 1 cm from apex, broadest at the middle, narrower than the pistillate and sterile portions; sterile staminate portion broader than the pistillate portion, creamy white, (9)1.1 - 1.5 cm diam.; pistils 1.8 - 2.3 mm long, 1.1 mm diam., creamy white; ovary 6-8-locular, 0.9÷1.2 mm long, 1 mm diam., Usually with basal, sometimes sub-basal placentation; locules 0.9 - 1.1 mm long, 0.3 - 0.4 mm diam.; ovule sac 0.9(1.2) mm long; ovules 1 per locule, contained within transparent ovule sac, 0.3 - 0.4 mm long, about as long as funicle; funicle 0.3-0.4 mm long (can be pulled free to base), style 0.6 - 0.8 mm long, 1.1 mm diam., similar to style type B; style apex ± sloping; stigma subdiscoid, greenish yellow, 1 mm diam., 0.3 mm high, covering entire style apex; the androecium irregularly 5 - 6-sided, sometimes oblong or quadrangular, 1.6-1.9 mm long, 0.9-1.2 mm diam. At apex; thecae oblong, 0.4-0.5 mm wide, ± parallel to one another and nearly contiguous; sterile staminate flowers blunt, irregularly 4-6-sided, sometimes prismatic, (1)1.6 - 2 mm long, (1.2)1.7 - 1.8 mm wide. INFRUCTESCENCE: Berries while or sometimes yellowish; seeds 1 per locule, tan, oblong, 2 mm long, 0.8 mm diam.