l - CNCFlora

Volume 91, Number 4
2004
Croat
Revision of Dieffenbachia
acute at the apex; and a blade of generally similar matte, moderately smooth; petiole scars 4-5 mm
shape and dried color. It differs from D. Iongispatha thick. LEAVES erect-spreading, clustered at apex
in occurring at a much higher elevation (1390- of stem; petioles 1344 cm long (averaging 28 4 cm
1600 m vs. 180 m), in having the staminate and long), 1-1.5 cm diam. midway, sheathed 0.3-0.76
pistillate portions of the spadix contiguous (sepa- their length (averaging 0.48), very glossy as if varrated
by a conspicuous, mostly sterile portion in D. nished, rarely only semiglossy, dark green, drying
Iongispatha), and in having a spathe that is much orange-brown to blackened; sheath 14-34 cm long
shorter (to 20.5 cm vs. 27-48 cm).
(averaging 14.3 cm long), erect to involute, acute
Diefenbachia lutheri is also similar to D. killipii and decurrent (but sometimes weakly elevated) at
and even shares with that species the contiguous apex; the unsheathed portion 5-22 cm long (averpistillate
and staminate portions of the spadix. It aging 13.4 cm long), usually terete to C-shaped,
differs from D. killipii, however, in having the major sometimes obtusely and narrowly to broadly sulcate
veins on the lower surface granular-puberulent or V-sulcate, rarely D-shaped; blades oblong-elliprather
than glabrous.
tic to oblong-lanceolate, or ovate-elliptic, gradually
Dief7nenbachia lutheri might be confused with an- acuminate to acute, equilateral to inequilateral at
other high-elevation species, D. crebripistillata, but apex, usually only weakly inequilateral with one
that species occurs only up to 950 m, lower than side 0.3-1.5 cm wider (but can be up to 3.5 cm
D. Iutheri, and differs in having a fully sheathed wider) than the other, acute to obtuse or rounded
petiole that dries yellow-brown. Diefenbachia luth- at base, usually equilateral, sometimes inequilatereri
has a petiole that dries dark gray and is un- al with one side acute and the other rounded, 19sheathed
for more than 5 cm at apex.
59 x 7-27.5 cm (averaging 38 x 12.6 cm), 2.1-
Etymology. The species is named in honor of 4.8 times longer than wide, broadest usually at
botanist Harry Luther from the Marie Selby Botan- middle, 0.7-2.4 times longer than petiole (averagical
Gardens, Sarasota, Florida, who collected liv- ing 1.38 times longer than petiole), subcoriaceous
ing material of the type species.
to thinly coriaceous, moderately to weakly bicolo-
Paratypes. PANAMA. Bocas del Toro: Cerro Colorado,
9.2 mi. W of Chame, Croat 69070 (MO). Chiriqui:
Cerro Colora(So, 18.6 mi. N of Rio San Felix, 6.6 mi. beyond
Chame, Croat 7ti007 MO); 34.1 km of Rio San Felix,
Croat 37268 (M0).
rous; margin sometimes weakly undulate; upper
surface dark green and glossy to semiglossy, plain
green or rarely weakly variegated with pale green
in some areas or throughout much of the blade,
sometimes plain green with just the midrib whitened,
drying gray-green; lower surface moderately
18. Dieffenbachia nitidipetiolata Croat & Gra- paler, matte to weakly glossy, drying yellow-green;
yum, sp. nov. TYPE: Panama. Bocas del Toro: midrib + flattened (slightly sunken toward base),
Valle del Silencio, along Rfo Changuinola, ca. concolorous or slightly paler, sometimes white
1 km above mouth of Rio Teribe, vic. Teribe above, convex or bluntly acute below, drying pale
Indian population, disturbed forest among co- yellow-brown often with a medial ridge on drying;
coa plantations, 9°21'40"N, 82°31'40"W, 100 primary lateral veins (10)12 to 20(22) per side, dem,
25 June 1994, 7: B. Croat &: G. Zhu 76449 parting midrib at 20°40°(55°) angle on narrower
(holotype, MO-04614032-33!; isotypes, AAU!, leaves (especially in Panama), often to 70°-85° an-
B!, CAS!, COL!, CR!, F!, GH!, INB!, K!, gle on broader blades (mostly in Costa Rica), weak-
MEXU!, NY!, PMA!, US!). Figures 18, 30A. ly arcuate-ascending, weakly sunken above, weakly
Planta 50-75(120) cm alta; internodia 0.7-1.5 cm lon- convex and slightly paler below; minor veins visiga,
1.5-2.5(4.0) cm diam.; petiolus 13-44 cm longus, va- ble, not prominent below. INFLORESCENCES
ginatus 0.3-0. 76 longitudinis; vagina 14-34 cm longa, mostly 1 to 5 per axil; bracts 2-ribbed throughout;
acuta ad apicem; pars libera 5-22 cm longa; lamina obpeduncles
11-18(24) cm long, 0.9-1.3 cm diam.,
longo-elliptica vel oblongo-lanceolata vel ovato-elliptica,
19-59 cm longa, 7-27.5 cm lata, nervis primariis later- somewhat flattened, medium green, semiglossy;
alibus (10)12-20(22) utroque; inflorescentia 1-5 in spathe 15-36 cm long, 1.3-2 times longer than pequoque
axilla; pedunculus 11-18(24) cm longus; spatha
15-36 cm longa; spadix 13-29 cm longus; pistilla 48-
60(79).
duncle, uniformly pale green to greenish white or
greenish cream, becoming pale yellow post-anthesis,
semiglossy to matte outside, slightly paler and
Herb, 50-75(120) cm tall; sap moderately foul- glossy within, spathe tube 2-2.9 cm diam., flattensmelling;
stems erect or partially reclining; inter- ing to 8-9 cm wide, weakly constricted above the
nodes 0.7-1.5 cm long, 1.5-2.5(4.0) cm diam., tube to 1.7 cm diam., the constricted area to 5 cm
glossy to semiglossy, dark green to medium green, wide when flattened, narrowly acuminate at apex;
smooth, drying dark brown to light yellow-brown, spathe blade 2.5-3.5 cm wide at anthesis, flatten-
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