Anthurium valenzuelae [Croat & Altamirano ]

Anthurium valenzuelae

General description:

Epiphytic vine to 1.5 m tall; internodes longer than wide, 1-3 cm long, 0.4-0.8 cm diam.; cataphylls persisting as fibers with apex acute, 2-8 cm long, drying reddish brown. LEAVES 27.3 cm long with petioles terete, 3.5-23 cm long (average 7.3 cm), 0.2-0.3 cm diam., weakly sheathed, shallowly and broadly sulcate; geniculum 0.5-1 cm long, drying darker than petiole; blades green, lanceolate, acuminate at apex, obtuse at base, with straight margins 9-35 cm long (average 20.8 cm), 1.2-6 cm wide (average 2.8 cm), 3.5-12.5 times longer than broad (average 7.8), 1.3-7 times longer than petiole (average 3.1), drying medium to dark reddish brown, semiglossy above and below, glandular punctations are lacking on both surfaces but many specimens have white pustules on the lower surface; midrib red, drying sunken above, prominently raised, bluntly acute below; primary lateral veins 11-21 pairs (average 14), arising at 45° to 60° angle, drying finely raised, slightly rounded, more conspicuous on lower surface; collective veins arising from the base and running 2-3 mm from margin, conspicuous on both surfaces; tertiary veins conspicuous below, less conspicuous above. INFLORESCENCES 22 cm long; peduncle terete, 5-33 cm long (average 17); stipe 0.2-0.5 cm long; spathe green or reddish, spreading, lanceolate, 3-7 cm long, 0.3-1.2 cm wide, acuminate at apex, drying dark brown; spadix erect, red to violet, 2.4-15 cm long (average 7.3 cm),0.3-0.5cm wide, cylindroid, tapered, drying dark brown, 3-5 flowers visible per spiral, 1.8-3.4 mm long, 1.5-2.4 mm wide, tepals outer margins 2-sided, inner margin broadly rounded. lateral tepals 0.8-1.8 mm wide.

General Description Reference:

Thomas B. Croat, Noel Altamirano, Ann Grace, Carla V. Kostelac, 2012. New species of Araceae from the South American Andes

Diagnostic description:

A few blades of Anthurium valenzuelae that were wider than typical for the species were similar to A. monteagudoi but A. monteagudoi is distinguished by having fewer primary lateral veins (8-12 versus 11-21) and collective veins which emerge prominently from the base forming a straight-sided V for 4-6 cm to near the margin.

Diagnostic Description Reference:

Thomas B. Croat, Noel Altamirano, Ann Grace, Carla V. Kostelac, 2012. New species of Araceae from the South American Andes

Distribution Reference:

Thomas B. Croat, Noel Altamirano, Ann Grace, Carla V. Kostelac, 2012. New species of Araceae from the South American Andes

Distribution:

It is known from the type locality in Cuzco Department of Peru at about 2,400 m elevation. It has also been found at Oxapampa and San Ignacio in Peru between 2,000 and 3,200 m. In Ecuador the species has been found in Morona-Santiago and Zamora-Chincipe Provinces at altitudes between 900 and 2,300 m.

Taxonomy

Taxonomic Notes:

Anthurium valenzuelae is a member of sect. Xialophyllium. Thirty-seven specimens have been examined and classified as Anthurium valenzuelae. The species is characterized by long, strap-like blades. Although the length-width ratios of the blades show considerable variation from 3.5 to 12, other features such as venation pattern, flower structure, persistent cataphylls and long internodes indicate they belong to a single, distinct species.
In the Lucid Anthurium key, Anthurium valenzuelae tracks with A. amoenum Kunth & Bouche´, A. mindense Sodiro and A. monteagudoi. Anthurium amoenum is found in Bolivia and has broader blades that are nearly ovate, with length/width ratio 2.6. The slender petioles tend to be near the length of the blades. The inner tepal margins are nearly straight. Anthurium mindense is found in Ecuador and has blades that are similar size and proportions to A. venezuelae but their shape is consistently elliptic rather than lanceolate and the apex tends to be cuspidate with a prominent apiculum 1-2 cm long. Another distinguishing character of A. mindense is the pattern of the prominent collective veins which run 4-6 mm from the margin forming distinct arcs at the juncture of primary lateral veins. A few blades of A. valenzuelae that were wider than typical for the species were similar to A. monteagudoi but A. monteagudoi is distinguished by having fewer primary lateral veins (8-12 versus 11-21) and collective veins which emerge prominently from the base forming a straight-sided V for 4-6 cm to near the margin. In addition, the stipe of A. valenzuelae is a few mm long, while that of A. monteagudoi is many times longer.

Taxonomic Notes Reference:

Thomas B. Croat, Noel Altamirano, Ann Grace, Carla V. Kostelac, 2012. New species of Araceae from the South American Andes

CATE Araceae

Araceae

Anthurium valenzuelae Croat & Altamirano

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