Anthurium anchicayense
Terrestrial, semi-erect; internodes 3-14 cm long, 0.8-1.8 cm diam., matte, medium green to gray-green, becoming gray-brown, drying dark brown. LEAVES with petioles 16-20 cm long, subterete, bluntly sulcate, weakly swollen at geniculum; blades elliptic, 26-43.5 cm long, 12.5-20 cm wide, 2.1-2.2 times longer than wide, 1.9-2.3 times longer than petioles, subcoriaceous, matte to weakly glossy, subvelvety and dark green above, moderately paler and semiglossy below, drying to dark brown above and significantly paler below; midrib convex and more or less concolorous above, narrowly convex and weakly 3-ribbed below; primary lateral veins flat to weakly quilted above, departing midrib at (60-)70-80°, individually scarcely visible above, more conspicuous and round-raised below, collective vein arising from one of the first primary lateral veins, 0.6-1.8 cm from margin. INFLORESCENCE erect; peduncle terete, 13-36 cm long; spathe 6.5-12 cm long, 6-12 mm wide, medium green, drying to dark brown, lanceolate, spreading at 90° angle or prominently reflexed; spadix 19-25 cm long, slightly tapered, 4-5 mm diam. at base, 3-4 mm near middle, 2-3 mm at apex, nonstipitate, green to yellowish green (turning brown in age), matte; flowers rhombic, 2-4 visible per principal spiral, 2.1-3.8 mm long, 1.3-2.9 mm wide, sides straight, lateral tepal 1.9-2.2 mm long, 0.4-0.8 mm wide; anthers yellow. INFRUCTESCENCE with berries red at maturity, blunt at apex, broader than long, ca. 4 mm long; seeds 1 per locule, greenish, ca. 2 mm long, 1.5 mm diam.; mesocarp clear, gelatinous, sweet. Figures 1-4.
Anthurium anchicayense is known only from Colombia on the western slopes of the Cordillera Occidental from (250-)1,100 to 1,450 m in elevation, in Valle and Narino Departments. It is to be expected in adjacent Ecuador in Carchi. In Narino it occurs in an area of pre montane wet forest. The species occurs in dense understory in full shade near streams.
Flowering collections were made in December and in late March.