l - CNCFlora

Volume 91, Number 4
2004
Croat
Revision of Dieffenbachia
brown below; rnidrib slightly paler and flat to sul- Specimens from Nicaragua differ somewhat from
cate and finely paler striped above (especially near those in Honduras, having leaf blades smaller on
the base), sometimes white in distal 2/3, convex to average, ranging from 37 to 69 cm long and 13 to
narrowly rounded, thicker than broad and paler to 31 cm wide (averaging 51 x 22.3 cm), but the
slightly paler below, drying 8-12 mm wide, medium petioles in both areas average 30 cm long. The
yellow-brown, finely ribbed with the ribs minutely Honduran populations have petioles consistently
and obscurely scabridulous on magnification; pri- fully sheathed, whereas plants in Nicaragua often
rnary lateral veins 12 to 24 per side, arising at an have a free portion of the petiole above the sheath
acute angle, then spreading at 40°-65°(70°) angle, ranging from 1 to 9 cm (averaging 4.4 cm long) with
obtusely sunken and weakly quilted, paler toward the petioles only rarely fully sheathed.
midrib above, bluntly angular and + concolorous Blade shape is quite variable. Blades can be
below, drying pale yellow-brown; lower surface with from 1.9 to 2.8 times longer than wide on the same
minor veins moderately obscure, arising mostly plant (e.g., Croat & Hannon 64638). Plants from
from the midrib but also from the primary lateral the Lancetilla Valley in Honduras have proportionveins.
INFLORESCENCES 2 to 4 per axil; peduncle ately longer blades, with some plants having blades
to (7.5)15-29 cm long (averaging 16 cm long), up to 3.2 times longer than wide (Croat 42676).
somewhat flattened; spathe matte, 20-50 cm long Specimens collected at Lancetilla and its surround-
(averaging 28.3 cm long), 1.2-3.1 times longer than ings have blades that range from 1.9 to 3.5 times
the peduncle (averaging 1.6 times longer), 2.5-3.0 longer than wide (averaging 2.5 times longer than
cm diam.; spadix 20-30 cm long (averaging 25 cm wide). Specimens from areas other than Lancetilla,
long); pistillate portion of spadix 12-13 cm long; and outside Honduras, have blades 1.6 to 2.7 times
staminate portion 15-16 cm long. Fruits to 1 cm longer than wide (averaging 2.1 times longer than
long, closely packed, reddish orange to scarlet at wide).
maturity with the spathe light yellow.
A c ollection from Zulia, Venezuela, between l,
Frfa and San Juan de Cold)n (Croat 78289) differs
Ditstriblltion (lnd h(ll)it(lt. Die,t,tenbflchi(l .st(ln- in having the petiole less fully sheathe(l an(l in havdleyi
ranges from Honduras (Atlanti(la, Comayagua, ing narrower bla(les up to 2.6 times longer than
Cortes, El Paraiso, (Jrae ias a l)ios, ()lane ho, Yoro) broa(l an(l drying somewhat less hlackene(l. It may
to Nicaragua (Matagalpa an(l %elaya) at 3()-1()0() [)rove to t)e the same species. If so, it wouI( [)e the
m elevation. Most c ollee tions in Hon(luras were only (:entral American sI)eeies (with the [)ossit)le
made in the lian(etil]a Va11ey.
exce,Dtion of D. killi)ii) that ranges from Central
Phenology. F]owering s)ee imens of D. .st(lndle- Americ a to Venezuela.
yi have been seen from May through Septeml)er, Etynology. Diefjfenl)lchi(l .standleyi was first
although a few flowering c o11ee tions were also made collectecl in 1928 by Paul Standley at Lan(etilla,
as early as February and March. Fruits start to de- Hon(luras. Standley was not only the author of most
velop in February and reac h full size during March c)f the aroid treatments for most existing Central
or April (in Nicaraguan collections) or July-August American floras, but he also described a number
(in Honduras).
of new species of Araceae, as well as collecting
Discussion. The species is characterized by its several paratypes of D. standleyi. The species is
stout stem, fully winged petioles, yellow-brown-dry- named in his honor.
ing ovate-elliptic blades with 12 to 24 pairs of primary
lateral veins, and a long spathe (20-50 cm). Paratypes. HONDURAS. Atlantifla: 5 km S of La
It is most easily confused with D. horichii and may Ceiba, Madison 705 ((;H); near Lancetilla, Yuncker 4961
(F, MO, NY); Lancetilla valley, near Tela, Pfeifer 2124
ultimately prove to be inseparable from that spe-
(US); near Puente Alto stop on S.F. Co. R.R., E of Ceiba,
cies. Dieffenbachia horichii differs in having shorter Yuncker et al. 8551 (F, GH, MO, NY, US); ca. 3 mi. S of
petioles with the sheath involute and moderately Tela, Webster et al. 12581 (DAV); vic. Tela, near Rio Lansmooth,
in contrast to the petiole sheaths erect and cetilla, above Exp. St., MacDougal et al. 3303 (MO, NY,
even curled outward as well as being undulate
US); Tela, ca. 10 mi. SE of Tela along Rio Lancetilla,
Croat 42625 (MO), Croat 42676 (MO), Standley 53146 (F,
along the margins in D. standleyi.
US). Comayagua: Siguatepeque, Standley & Chacon
A collection by Stevens et al. 20998 from Mata- 6701 (F). Cortes: 2-3 mi. SW of Omoa on rd. from Puerto
galpa is unusual in being described as 3 m tall with Cortes to Guatemalan border, Croat 42556 (MO); E1 Para
trunk 1() cm in diameter. Another Stevens col- aiso, Yuscaran, Rio de los Aguacates, Standley 25700
(EAP). Gracias a Dios: Ahuas Bila, 200 km SW of
lection (7457) from Zelaya Department is notewor-
Puerto Lempira, Nelson & Cruz 9291 (TEFH, UNAH, US).
thy in drying darker yellow-brown than other col- Olancho: Catacamas, Standley 18786 (EAP); along Rio
lections.
Olancho, W of main Tegucigalpa-Catacamas Hwy., ca. 1
753