Anthurium ovatifolium
Epiphytic or sometimes terrestrial; internodes short, 2.7-5 cm diam.; cataphylls subcoriaceous, to 25 cm long, persisting semi-intact as a thick reticulum of fibers, drying tan or reddish brown; petioles (35-)48-72 cm long (averaging 60 cm), 4-6 mm diam., U-shaped, sharply V-sulcate adaxially; blades ovate to broadly ovate, obtuse and rounded at apex, rounded at base, 29-53 cm long, 14-40 cm wide (averaging 49 x 29 cm), 1.2-2.1 times longer than broad, .6-.9 times as long as the petioles, broadest between middle and base, moderately coriaceous, glossy and moderately bicolorous; midrib narrow, convex and slightly paler above, narrowly rounded below; basal veins 3-7 pairs, largely free to base 2 reaching to apex, 1-5 terminating at margin, varying widely in distance from margin; primary lateral veins ca. 20-30 per side, departing midrib at ca. 45° angles, quilted-sunken above, pleated-raised below; INFLORESCENCES erect; peduncle 45- 60 cm long, 5-7 mm diam.; spathe reflexed, chartaceous, light green, sometimes tinged purplish on the back and margin, drying dark brown, 14-16 cm long, 2.5-3.5 cm wide, oblong; spadix pale yellow-green to greenish yellow, greenish toward tip or brown, sessile or weakly stipitate, cylindroid or weakly tapered, erect, 12- 20 cm long, 8-12 mm diam. at base, 8-10 mm diam. at apex; pollen white. INFRUCTESCENCES with fruiting spadix cylindroid or weakly tapered, (20-)24-30 cm long, 24-32 cm diam. at base, 22-28 cm diam. at apex; pistils early emergent; berries early emergent, green, becoming bright red, acute at apex.
A member of sect. Digittinervium, this species is moderately common. It is easily distinguishable by its coriaceous blades with several pairs of basal veins which extend at least part of the way to the apex, the scalariform primary lateral veins, the dark glandular punctations on the lower blade surface and the early emergent red berries. The species is not confused with any other species at La Planada and is distinguished from members of sect. Porphyrochitonium which also have glandular punctations on at least the lower surface by the much larger leaf blades and the regular scalariform veins which extend between the basal veins. Elsewhere A. ovatifolium might be confused with A.lingua Sodiro but that species has blades which are typically narrowly ovate, not elliptic and dry light yellow-green instead of blackened.
Anthurium ovatifolium ranges from Colombia (Antioquia, Narino, Valle del Cauca) to Ecuador (Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Imbabura, Loja, Morona-Santiago, Napo, Pastaza, Pichincha, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe) to Peru (Amazonas, Cajamarca, San Martin), at elevations of 300-2,300 m, primarily above 1,500 m, in Premontane moist Jorest, Tropical moist Forest, Premontane wet Forest, Premontane rain Forest and, Montane wet Forest and Montane rain Forest life zones. It occurs throughout much of the Western Cordillera of the Andes at higher elevations. At La Planada, it was found in primary and secondary forest, along the trail to La Vieja and along the trail above La Posada.