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Araceae
Philodendron bayae Croat
Nomenclature
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Family: AraceaeGenus: Philodendron
SUMMARY
Epiphyte; internodes 2-4 cm long, ca. 4 cm diam., short moderately thick, glossy medium green, drying brown; cataphylls unribbed to weakly 1-2-ribbed, 30.5 cm long with thin red-brown epidermis overlying a network of pale brownish fibers, eventually becoming semi-intact and with a mass of decomposed parts lower down. LEAVES dark green and matte above, much paler and weakly glossy below, subcoriaceous; petioles (27)46-82 cm long, terete, firm, becoming obtusely D-shaped with obtuse medial rib toward apex, medium green, densely pale-striate (not raised), densely and conspicuously scaly in distil 4 cm; blades (28)42-82 cm long, (17.2)32-46 cm wide, 1.2-2.8 times longer than wide (averaging 1.66), 0.66-2.2 times longer than petioles (averaging 0.92 as long), dark green and matte above, much paler and weakly glossy below, drying dark brown and matte above, light brown and semiglossy below; anterior lobe 31-47.4 cm long, broadly convex; posterior lobes directed toward the base, 14.6-24 cm long; sinus spathulate to narrowly hippocrepiform, sometimes parabolic, 9.8-15.5 cm wide; (5)10-20 cm wide; basal veins 8-11 pairs, 3-4 pairs of which are free to the base; midrib flat, pale above, dark green and matte below, drying lighter, raised and finely ribbed above, raised, smooth and concolorous below; primary lateral veins 8-10(12) pairs, often alternating with interprimary veins, arising at a 58° angle, sunken above, raised below, dark green, matte, drying raised, ridged and lighter with a slightly darker (deteriorating with age) epidermal layer present, sunken and lighter below; basal veins ca. 8 pairs arising at ca. an 80° angle; minor veins obscure. INFLORESCENCES 1-2 per axil, tube magenta, blade white; peduncle 4.0-5.0 cm long, 0.5-1.0 cm diam. upon drying, white then brown-drying, coarsely lineate toward apex; spathe white outside and maroon throughout within, or tinged maroon on the basal half of the blade inside; spadix 12-15.5 cm long; staminate spadix (4.7)9-10.5 cm long, drying 7-11 mm diam., narrowly pointed at apex; pistillate portion, 4.7-5.7 cm long, drying 6-8 mm diam. midway; pistils 6-7-locular, drying 2 mm long; ovary broadly triangular- ovoid, marked with dark lines marking the locules; style 0.5 mm long, drying darker brown; stigma 0.5 mm long, drying blackened; ovules 17-20 per locule. INFRUCTESCENCE with berries drying 5 mm long, 3.5 mm diam., pericarp drying medium brown with pale granules, 6-7-locular; style 1.8-2.2 mm diam., 0.1 mm thick, irregularly angular; stigma button-shaped, 1.4-1.5 mm diam., subrounded, dark brown, pale on margins, with 6-7 pits around the perimeter; seeds 0.6-0.7 mm diam., coarsely ribbed longitudinally, brownish, arranged in two rows with axile placentation.