l - CNCFlora

736 Annals of the
Missouri Botanical Garden
bands); sheath 6.7-10 cm long, the tip usually Cocle) to northern Colombia (Antioquia and Choco)
rounded to inequilaterally emarginate, rarely de- from 30 to 800 m in Tropical rnoistforest (T-mf) and
current, frequently with one side emarginate and Tropical wet forest (T-wf) life zones (Holdridge,
with the other side acute; unsheathed portion lack- 1967).
ing or to 5.2 cm long, sharply to bluntly sulcate; Phenology. The species has been seen in flowblades
narrowly elliptic, 20-30 cm long (averaging er from May to December and fruiting collections
24 cm long), 5-8 cm wide (averaging 7.5 cm wide), have been reported from from September to May.
2.4-5.2 times longer than wide, 1.6-3.1 times lon- Discussion. Dieffenbachia obscurinervia is charger
than petiole, slightly inequilateral, one side acterized by its scurfy brown internodes, conspic-
0.7-1 cm wi(ler than the other side, subcoriaceous, uously splotched petioles, and narrow blades with
weakly bie olol ous, gradually acuminate, briefly apic- weakly developed primary lateral veins. It is not
ulate at al)ex, {lequently somewhat falcate, cuneate easily confused with any other species but was into
obtuse ol X ounded, often weakly inequilateral, correctly called D. pittieri, a species considered rerarely
weakly sube ordate at base, upper surface dark stricted to the Isthmus of Panama, for many years.
green, semit,lossy, drying dark yellow-green to dark See that species for a discussion of the differences.
olive-greels; lowel surface slightly to moderately paler,
drying yellow-green, midrib slightly raised to flat
above, con( ololous, drying concolorous above, convex
to narlowly rounded below, dark green, densely
Paratypes. PANAMA. Canal Area: Pipeline Rd.7 mi.
1-37 N of GarYlboa7 S. Knapp 1042 (MO); Pipeline Rd. at
Rio Agua Salud7 Croat 12352A (MO); Barro Colorado Island7
Armour 'I'rail 12807 Croat 8623 (MO); Drayton Trail
pale yellowish green-spotted, drying paler than sur- 10007 Croat /2660 (MO); Drayton 19107 Croat 6775 (MO7
STRI); Draytoll 1490, Croat 5759 (M()). Cocle: vic. E1
face or datket than surface below; primary lateral
Valle de AntI)ll, La Mesa7 Finca Maarenita7 Croat & Zhu
veins 10 to 13 I)er side, weakly etched above, weak- 76666A (M ( )* I'MA). Colon: Santa Rita Ridge7 Croat
ly raised or llot at all raised below; the interprimary 13849 (MO); Nombre de Dios7 Cro(lt t57.X29 (MO); Cocle
veins alnsost as conspicuous as primary lateral del Norte7 ZI(lrnmel 4484 (MO); I'ollofelo-Nombre de
Dios7 1.2 lzli. I)eyond jet. of rd. lo Isla Grande7 Croat
veins, milsor veins moderately distinct below. IN-
49791 (M()7 I'MA); Rio Guanche7 (,. .S kln upstream from
FLORES(E , N (E IiS 1 to 3 per axil; peduncle (1.7)3- rd. to Portobeloe Hammel & Train(r /4786 (MO); Loma
5 cm longe somewhat flattened in cross section; de la GloliaF near Fato (Nombre (le l)ios)7 Pittier 3847
spathe 11.5-2() c m long, 3.2-9.5 times longer than (US). Panalll.'l: Balboa West7 Za/l(lt(l (t (ll. 289 (PMA);
peduncle, (lark green or pale green throughout, along trail ol'l' I,larlo-Carti Rd.7 4.6 rrli. from jet. with Pancaudate-ae
lllninate, sometimes sharply reflexed below
apex, .V)adix 10-18 cm long; free portion 5-9
cm long; pistillate portion 5-5.5 cm long; sterile
Am. Hwy.7 M(l'l1(rson & Merello 8/4.S (MO). San Blas:
Rio Cangandl (2angandi7 H. Herrer(l 245 (MO7 PMA); Nusigandi7
alotlg ll Llano-Carti Rd.7 ().7 km beyond Cuna
headquarterst 11.6 km from Pan-Am. Hwy.7 Croat 75149
segment less than 1 cm long, 6 mm diam., with (KS MO). C()l,()MBIA. Antioquia: Slo Anorl valley7 near
scattered staminodia throughout; pistils 20 to 40,
moderately ( losely spaced, scattered, 2-2.6 mm
diam.; stigma depressed-globose, 2 mm diam., staminodia
white, usually 3 per pistil, 1.5-2(3.4) mm
Planta Provi(lell( ia7 Shepherd 438 (M(), WIS); Anori7 Corr.
Prov.7 Soejart(l & Renteria 3556 (HUA); %aragoza7 Rio Anori7
Quebra(ltl l, 'rirana-Rio Anori7 2 km N of Quebrada
La Tirana7 3 k lll ll priver from Planta Providencia7 Alverson
et al. 283 (C()l,); Carepa7 Tulenapa Reserva (ICA)7 Turbolong,
flattene(l, oblong to clavate, grooved medially, Mutata7 40 kzl S of Turbo7 Callejas et al. 4873 (MO7 NY).
Choco: Nu(ltlt, Quebrada Chaqui7 Galeano et al. 4825
drying flattened, thickened at apex; synandria ir-
(MO); Quibddx, l, Concepcion7 15 km E of Quibdo7 Archer
regularly rounded with margins undulate, minutely 2215 (US); Cor(loba7 Tierralta7 Rio Esmeraldas-Rio Simi7
warty, widely sunken at apex, 1.8-2.6 mm diam., 2 km above ( orlfluence7 Bernal et al. 1158 (COL).
dark yellow-brown, matte on drying. INFRUC-
TESCENCE broadly arching; spathe mostly decid- 20. Dieffenbachia oerstedii Schott, Oesterr.
uous; spadix to 8 cm long; berries red, broadly el- Bot. Z. 8: 179. 1858. TYPE: Guatemala. Agualipsoid,
to 1.5 cm long, less than 1 cm diam. cate, A. S. Oersted s.n. (holotype, C!). Figures
Common name. Abior (Kuna) (de Nevers et al.
20, 29A.
7409).
Herb, 30-75(100) cm tall (usually less than 50
Distribution and habitat. Dieffenbachia obscu- cm); stem erect or partially reclining, often conrinervia
ranges from central Panama (as far west as spicuously clustered with numerous plants; sap
Figure 20. Dieffenbachia oerstedii. A. Potted plant with inflorescences and leaves with mottled blades (Croat
68449). B. Potted flowering plant with pale midribs (Croat & Zhu 76794). C. Leaves and post-anthesis inflorescence
showing ovate-lanceolate blades with scarcely sunken primary lateral veins (Croat 63208A).-D. Close-up of