l - CNCFlora

708
Annals of the
Missouri Botanical Garden
pressed-globose, to 1.6 mm long, 1 mm diam., pale mi.l.l, Croat & Grayunz 60346 (MO).Chiriqui: Gualagreen;
stigma yellow, about as broad as the pistil; ca-Chiriqui Grande, 1 km S of Cont. Divide & Bocas del
Toro boundary, Croat 66866 (MO);7.2 mi. beyond Los
staminodia white, 1-1.4 mm long, conspicuously Planes de Hornito, Croat 67837 (MO);8.3 mi. NW of Los
thickened, drying pale orange-brown; the synan- Planes de Hornito, Croat 49971 (MO); rd. to Fortuna Dam
dium 2-2.6 mm long, 1.6-2.0 mm wide, white, dry- site, N of Gualaca, 22.7 mi. beyond Rio Esti bridge, Croat
ing yellow-brown, the margins irregularly angular- 48672 (MO,PMA);4.8 mi. beyond IRHE facilities at dam,
Croat 68012 (INB, MO,PMA), Croat & Zhu 76340 (MO),
subrounded. INFRUCTESCENCE with spadix to 6 Thonipson 4951 (CM,MO); Fortuna Dam area, Quebrada
cm long; berries not seen.
Los Chorros-Quebrada Hondo, to N of reservoir, Churchill
& Churchill 6158 (MO), Churchill & Churchill 6159 (MO).
Distribution (nd habitat. Dieffenbachia fortunensis
is apparently endemic to Panama, known
only from the fi ortuna Dam region of Chiriqui Prov-
9. Dieffenbachia fosteri C l oal, sp. nov. TYPE:
ince (hence the epithet) at 900 to 1600 m in Pre-
Panama. Bocas del Toro: l jaguna de Chiriqui,
montane rain Jorest (P-rf) and Lower montane rain
Nuri, 15 km E of Punta (Llicamola, Ensenada
forest (LM-rf) life zones (Holdridge, 1967).
de Catavela to Quebra(la Nuri, 8°55'N,
Phenology. Flowering occurs during the late 81°49'W, elevation neal sea level7 20 Mar.
dry season an(l early wet season from March to June
1993, R. Foster, A. Herre, F. Kalko & C. Hanwith
fruits maluling in the late rainy season after
dley 14649 (holotype, PMA!). Figure 27A.
September.
Planta (0.4)1-2 m alta; interno(litl 1. ) ( m longa, 1.5 cm
Discussion. It is distinguished by its usually diam. in sicco; petio]us 10-29 ( rll lorlrllsX vaginatus 1/3-1/2
small stature, lzloderately thin, prominently veiny, longitudinis, pars ].it)era subteles; Illlila ovato-elliptica
undulate, narl owly oblong-lanceolate to narrowly vel lanceolata vel anguste ovaltl, (1 1)17-28 cm longa,
(6)7-14 cm lata, nervis primblriis ll( alibus 8-13 utovate
blades willl a flat-raised midrib, and petioles
roque, inflorescentia I per axilltlll: I)( (lunculus 9.5 cm
with the sheath (le(urrent at its apex and with a longus; spatha 20 ( n] longa, 2 ( l] (litll.; spadix 18 cm
long, free, shaluly flattened-sulcate distal portion. longus; pars pisti]].ala ().5 em lollrtl (il] Illl( tu); baccae 6-
Also charactel ist ic are the granular to granular-pll- 7 mm diam in si(co, I-lo(ulares.
berulent majot veins on the lower blade surface.
Slender herb, (().4)1-2 nl t t11; sap smelling of
The species is c losest to D. beachiana, the latte
oxalic acid; interno(les medilltzl >XXn, dark greendiffering
in having the major veins on the lowel
mottled, 1.5 cm long, drying l.5) ( z1 (liam. LEAVES
surface cons,oie uously whitish puberulent an(l
clustered at/near stem apex; )(ltioles 10-29 cm
blades with ptirllary lateral veins more numerous
long, drying 2-3 mm diam., 91le itlling 1/3 to 1/2 their
and spreading c onsistently at broader angles (most
length; sheath margins dl y i n> + hyaline and
to ca. 90° throughout most of the blade rather thats
brown, sheath apex with one si(lej ol)scure to roundonly
a few VeillS near the base of the blade). 1Xed,
with the other side acute; unsleathed portion
terms of pubese ence D. fortunensis is closer to 1).
of petiole subterete, oval in ( toss section, 12.5galdamesiae,
whi(h also shares granular puberul-
18.5 cm from base of blade; I)leldel.s ovate-elliptic to
ence rather tllan the loose puberulence of D. belanceolate
or narrowly ovate, (1/1+)17-28 x (6)7-14
achiana, but I). g(ldamUesiae differs from D. fortucm,
2-2.4 times longer than wi(le, somewhat inenensis
in having the primary lateral veins 15 to 17
quilateral, one side 1-1.5 c l wi(let than the other
per side and arising at a 30°-40° angle (vs. 10 to
side, acuminate at apex, the (1( llnen apiculate, 1
17 per side, an(l at a 55°-90° angle). Dieffenbachi
mm long, inequilateral an(l oltllse or rounded at
galdamesiae is also restricted to areas east of the
base; midrib convex to flat-ltlis( (l (Ind concolorous
Panama Cana], while D. fortunensis is restricted to
above, drying somewhat flattene({ alld concolorous
far western Panama.
above, convex and densely hisi(llllous, darkerthan
The species has been confused with small plants
surface below, drying striate witll white inclusions
of D. Iutheri, a similar species from Cerro Colorado
below; primary lateral veins 8 to 1.-3 per side, weakin
Chiriqui Province. That species usually has widly
sunken above, raised beneath, (leparting midrib
er leaf blades (to 15 cm) that are ovate and dry less
at an acute angle then spreading at 65°-80° in the
blackened. In addition, that species has the pistillower
1/2 of the blade, spreading at 45°-55° toward
late and staminate portions of the spadix contiguapex,
extending almost straight toward the margins
ous, and lacks the mostly sterile section between
then broadly sweeping toward the apex; upper surthe
pistillate and staminate portion as is present on
face dark green, matte, drying dark brown to some-
D. fortunensis.
what blackened; lower surface slightly paler than
Paratypes. PANAMA. Bocas del Toro: along Cont. above, weakly glossy, drying slightly less grayish
Divide rd. N off main Fortuna-Chiriqui Grande Hwy., on black than upper surface, densely grayish-speckled