Anthurium truncatum
Acaulescent, rosulate herb. Stem thick, internodes short, 3 – 5 cm diam.; roots greyish white to greenish; prophylls weakly two-keeled, 1 – 2 × 1.5 – 2 cm, intermediate cataphylls lanceolate, 4.5 – 5.5 × 0.5 – 1 cm, both kinds persisting as a mass of coarse fibres. Leaves spreading; petioles 4 – 6(– 11) cm long, 0.5 – 0.7 cm diam., Ushaped, flattened with obtuse margins adaxially, rounded abaxially, medium to dark matte green when fresh, surface minutely white-speckled; basal geniculum thicker than the petiole, clear matte green when fresh, 0.6 – 0.8 × 0.7 – 0.8 cm, apical geniculum thicker than the petiole, clear matte green when fresh, 0.8 – 1.5 cm long; sheath 1.5 – 2 cm long; blades chartaceous, elliptic, acuminate at apex, obtuse to truncate at base, 19 – 33.5 × 4.5 – 7.7 cm, broadest at middle or slightly below; the margins very weakly undulate upon drying; upper surface matte, medium to dark green, lower surface matte, paler; both surfaces drying pale brown; midrib slightly prominent above, obtuse to keeled below, in both surfaces densely covered with white speckles; venation poorly visible on both sides in both fresh and dried leaves, primary lateral veins numerous (more than 20), impossible to separate from the interprimary veins, departing midrib at 50 – 65° angle, arcuate, slightly prominent on upper surface, raised below; secondary veins prominulous in both surfaces when dry, reticulate veins almost invisible to slightly raised below; collective vein 5 – 6 mm from leaf margin. Inflorescences usually pendent after anthesis, much shorter than the leaves; peduncle 1 – 2 cm long, 0.5 – 0.7 cm diam., 2 – 4 × shorter than the petioles; spathe erect, chartaceous, ovate, semimatte medium green outside, concolorous or a little glaucous inside, densely whitespeckled on both surfaces when fresh, 3 – 5 × 1.5 – 2.5 cm, broadest near the base, sometimes almost at middle, inserted at 45° angle on the peduncle, cuspidate to acuminate at apex, obtuse at base, spathe margins meeting obtusely to almost at 180°; spadix greenish to greyish green, stipitate for 4 – 5 mm, tapered, 2.6 – 4 cm long, 0.6 – 1 cm diam. at base, 3 – 5 mm diam. at apex, broadest near base; flowers rhomboidal, 3 – 3.5 mm long, 2.8 – 3 mm wide; 7 – 8 flowers visible in principal spiral, 5 – 6 flowers visible in alternate spiral; tepals matte, lateral tepals 0.9 – 1 mm wide, inner margins straight, the outer margins 2-sided; pistils emergent, stigma rounded; stamens not covering the stigma at all, filaments not exerted, anthers 0.5 – 0.7 × 0.4 – 0.6 mm, thecae ovoid, 0.5 – 0.7 × 0.2 – 0.3 mm. Infructescence unknown.
≡ Anthurium brachypodum G. M. Barroso in Arch. Jard. Bot. Rio de Janeiro 15: 98, t. XII. 1957, non Sodiro in Anales Univ. Centr. Ecuador 15(108): 12. 1901 [& id. 16(116): 192. 1902; for further details see Nicolson (1983)].
Anthurium truncatum is, so far known, restricted to mountainous areas at an altitude of 700 – 900 m above sea level along the Atlantic coast of the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo. It is known to grow on the forest floor but is expected also to be found on rocks. The new collection from Vargem Alta was obtained c. 15 km away from the type location at Nova Venécia.