l - CNCFlora

Volume 91, Number 4
2004
Croat
Revision of Dieffenbachia
ing to (3.7)4.5-5.7 cm wide midway; spadix 13-29 cies differs in having a minutely granular upper
cm long, ca. 1-9 cm shorter than the spathe; the surface, a matte-drying lower midrib with promifree
portion 11-16 cm long; fertile staminate por- nent raphide cells (vs. drying glossy without raphtion
5.7-10.5 cm x 6-11 mm, slightly broader at ide cells), and matte-drying petioles (vs. drying
middle, gradually tapering toward both ends, blunt- glossy).
ly rounded at apex; male flowers 4 to 6 per spiral, In the Rio Guanche area of Colon Province, Pansubrounded
to hexagonal, sometimes depressed ama, the species may be hybridizing with D. cremedially,
the margins irregularly and smoothly in- bripistillata since both species occur along the Rio
dented; pistillate portion 5.5-14 cm long, 11-15 Guanche and in the Santa Rita area further inland
mm diam., extending down to the very base of the and at higher elevations. Some plants have the free
spathe; pistils 48 to 60(79) globose, green, to 2.5- portion of the petiole over half its length on aver-
3 mm diam., moderately closely spaced except age, which is characteristic of D. nitidipetiolata
sometimes in uppermost 1 cm (the distance be- (but not of D. crebripistillata), yet the free portion
tween them generally equaling or up to twice their is not notably glossy as is usually the case for D.
width), usually to 3 per spiral or 4 to 6 in an arch nitidipetiolata. Examples of these collections are
across the width of the spadix; stigma yellow, de- McPherson & Merello 8235 from Santa Rita Ridge
pressed-globose, simple; staminodia 3 to 5 per flow- and Thompson 4874 from Rio Guanche. The Mcer,
clavate, white, 2-6 mm long, up to 2 times lon- Pherson and Merello collection also describes the
ger than pistil, somewhat flattened and mostly petiole as having a white streak on the abaxial surcontiguous
at base (sometimes united in pairs), face, a feature otherwise known only in D. crebrisometimes
slightly thickened and somewhat puck- pistillata.
ered at apex, drying orange; staminate portion interrupted
from piKstillate portion by a + naked por- P(lrfityl)es. C()S'rA RICA. Alajuela: -34 km beyond
tion, 2.tS-4.S c m x 5-9 mm with a few Ksterile San l4aril6n 1)eyond l jos Angeles, I,llteyn W@8.T (l)UKIS);
llo(lt. 4.X36)8 (M()); (,lJcililo-(,ual)i
lees 14(l., A(lrritlMevr 2416) (t''). Hereflia: 1, Xeelneal
sea level to 12()() m in wettel palts of Trol)ic
va at Xalul)i(lili, llT7l()ll.()Z 1()3 (M()); 1, X,011 Plole(lola
moi.st foresl ( 1 -mf), Premont(lrle wet /orest (P-wf), Rio (,rU('ililO, (,r(zl-lllzl & ks(&h(ltz .X218 (I)U Ktg); La Selva,
Tro/)ie(ll wet forest (T-wf), an(1 Premontarle rairl /or- ()'1'S tX'ieel(l Aluliorl orl ttlee Rfo Puello Viejo, E of its jcnl.
est (P-rf) 1ife zones (Holdli(lge, 1967).
wiltl ttle>. ttfo SaIal)iqui, Ctro(lt 442.S4 (M()), H(lltlmel 8123
Phenology. Dief/erl b(lchi(l niti(lil)etiol(lt(l flow-
(I)UKt, tX', M()), Burger & kSXtolze .57.53 (tX', (,,t), Fol.som
92()() (I)U Ktg), H(ltnmel 1()()82 (I)UKIS), Beflch 14tSb
ers principally at the beginning of the lainy season (l)UKIS), Beflch 1439 (DUKIi, MO), M(lcL)ougal 1()27
(June-September), but also as early as March and (DUKIL), Jitzzezzez 1()3 (MO); Rio Salapi(lui, 2 km S of San
as late as October, with the heaviest flowering ap- Miguel, Lent 37 (tX'); Sarapiqui, Croat 44307 (MO), Grapalently
in August. Fruitillg collectiolls 11ave been yum. 2225 (DUKE, MO); San Jose and Pto. Viejo, vie. of
Chilamante, 11.6 mi. N of Cariblanco, Croat 68379 (MO).
made from May through January.
Limon: Hitoy Cerere reserve, SW of Valle lga Estrella,
Discussion. The species is characterized by its along Rfo Cerere to ca. 1 km upstream from Quebrada
long, glossy petioles with the unsheathed portion Barrera, Grayum & Hammel 5785 (MO); Res. Biol. Hitoy
being moderately elongate, 0.7-0.24 cm of their Cerere, Valle de la Estrella, trail to Cerro Bob6cara, G.
length, and which dry glossy as though varnished, Herrera 4116 (CR, MO); N of Quebrada E1 Molinete, Rfo
Chirrip6-Rfo Corinto, Grayum & Jacobs 3524 (MO); Ref.
and by the moderately closely spaced pistils. It is Nac. Barra del Colorado, Rfo Chirrip6cito-Rfo Sardina,
most easily confused with D. Iongispatha, differing Grayum 9844 (CR, MO); Rfo Catarata, Burger et al. 1()323
from that species in having the pistils much smaller (F, MO, SEL); BriBri-Rfo Sixaola, Rfo Catarata, Burger &
and aggregated and from D. crebripistillata in hav- Antonio 1()9()5 (F, MO, PMA); BriBri-Caribbean coast,
Croat 43217 (MO). Puntarenas: E of Monteverde on the
ing the petiole almost unsheathed (vs. sheathed
Pacific watershed, Burger et al. 1()699 (MO); Palmar Normostly
to the apex in D. crebripistillata). The spe- te-Panamerican border, 3 km N of turn-off to Rinc6n,
cies may be confused with D. hammelii. That spe- Croat & O. Hannon 79199 (INB, MO, US). San Jose:
733