Philodendron bayae
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.
Philodendron bayae is endemic to Colombia, known only from Chocó and Valle Departments at 40-150 m in a region of Tropical rain forest life zone or a transition zone between Tropical wet forest and Tropical rain forest life zones. The species was first collected by the senior author in 1984 in the Bajo Calima area and was subsequently collected four times in the same region and in 1997 by Croat & Gaskin in the region of Las Animas in Chocó Department.