Anthurium angustifolium
Herbaceous epiphyte, rarely rupicolous. Stem 4.5-5.0 x 1.5-1.8 cm, with short internodes 0.3-0.7 cm long, prophylls and cataphylls light green when young, brown to ferrugineous when mature, entire at the apex, brittle at the stem base, 10-11 x 1.9-2.4 cm. Leaves deflexed, petiole 9.5-13.5 x 0.4-0.7 cm, light-green, flat adaxially with obtuse margins when young, becoming flat with acute margins at proximal direction and slightly sulcate at distal direction when mature, always rounded abaxially, geniculum 0.8-1 cm long, thicker than the petiole, sheath light green, 1.2-1.7 cm long; blade light green, 34.5-48.7 x 6.5-8.1 cm, strongly contrasting colors on the two surfaces, upper surface darkgreen, lower surface pale green, chartaceous when fresh, subcoriaceous when dry, narrowly elliptic, apex acute, base cuneate to obtuse, midrib prominent and rounded on both sides, lighter or the same color as the blade, primary lateral veins obscure on both sides when fresh, becoming prominent when dried, little differentiated from the finer veins, 34-36 on each side, forming an angle of 35-40° with the midrib at the leaf base, 40-45° in the middle of the blade and towards the apex, infra-marginal collective vein starting from the leaf base or, more rarely 2.3-2.4 cm above it, 0.4-0.7 cm from margin. Inflorescence: peduncle vinaceous, rarely greenish at the base, terete, 31-32.5 x 0.4-0.5 cm; spathe membranaceous, vinaceous, vinaceous with greenish hues or vinaceous at base turning light-green towards the apex, deflexed before and during anthesis, reflexed post-anthesis and during frutification, linear-lanceolate, apex acute, forming an acute angle with the peduncle, 4.4-4.7 cm x 0.7-1, decurrent 0.2- 0.3 cm long; spadix sessile, rarely stipitate, vinaceous during anthesis, brownish in post-anthesis and during frutification, cylindrical, tapered, 7.8-9.9 x 0.7-0.8 cm, stipe vinaceous, 0.2-0.3 cm long; 4-5 flowers per principal spiral and 6-8 per alternate spiral; tepals vinaceous until anthesis, brownish at the apex, becoming light-green towards the base postanthesis and during frutification, hooded, dorsally acute, internally convex, lateral tepals 2.50-2.51 x 1.5-2.0 mm, anterior and posterior tepals 1.50-1.55 x 1.0-1.10 mm, filaments flattened, 0.55-0.80 x 1.50-1.75 mm, anthers dorsifixed, extrorse, 0.40-0.45 x 0.45-0.55 mm, gynoecium vinaceous, globose, sessile, bilocular, with one ovule per locule, placentation apical, funicle glabrous, 1.50-1.60 x 0.55-0.60 mm. Berries with light green apex when immature, reddish and turning translucent towards the base when ripe, seeds oblong, yellowish.
Conservation—Anthurium angustifolium is critically endangered CR - B1ab (ii,iii,v) + 2ab (iii,v) - in accordance to IUCN (2001) categories and criteria. In this category are inserted species facing a high risk of extinction in the wild, with extent of occurrence < 100 km2, area of occupancy <10 km2, heavily fragmented, known from a single location, with continuing decline inferred from the number of mature individuals and steady decline in habitat quality. The Environmental Protection Area Mestre Alvaro is located within the metropolitan area of Vitoria, Espirito Santo, and is heavily used for ecotourism. Non-monitored visitation leads to frequent extraction of species with ornamental potential, such as representatives of Orchidaceae and Bromeliaceae with which A. angustifolium is found in frequent association. Restricting the access of this Protection Area would help to prevent the decline of populations from this species.
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Anthurium angustifolium is morphologically similar to A. gladiifolium and A. viridispathum. It differs from A. gladiifolium by its narrowly elliptical leaves, with prophylls and cataphylls with entire apices, becoming brittle towards the base of the stem, primary lateral veins obscure on both sides, with 4–5 flowers per principal spiral and 6–8 per alternate spiral. Anthurium gladiifolium is an epiphytic and terrestrial species, widely distributed through the tropical rain forest of Bahia and Minas Gerais (Coelho and Temponi 2013); it has oblong-lanceolate blades, prophylls and cataphylls decomposing to fibers at the stem base, primary lateral veins slightly impressed to barely visible above, with 6–7 flowers per principal spiral and 9–10 per alternate spiral. Anthurium angustifolium differs from A. viridispathum by having berries with a reddish apex and turning translucent towards the base, and having oblong yellowish seeds. On the other hand, the berries of A. viridispathum have a dark-green apex turning pale green to cream-colored toward the base, and elliptic to obovate greenish seeds (Table 1). This last species is exclusively saxicolous and poorly collected, only known from two localities in the Espírito Santo state, at elevations between 500–700 m (Gonçalves 2005).
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Habitat and Distribution—Anthurium angustifolium can be an epiphyte, rupicolous, or can grow on forest floors, usually occurring at elevations above 600 m. Thus far, it is only known from the type locality (Fig. 2). This species can be recognized by the short stems and deflexed chartaceous leaves, which are pale-green abaxially, making it readily spotted among the associated species of Bromeliaceae, Orchidaceae, and ferns (Fig. 3).