l - CNCFlora

756
Annals of the
Missou ri Botanical Garden
what above the middle; spathe tube 1.5-3 cm diam. Because of the fully sheathed petioles it can be
when closed, 6.8-9 cm wide when flattened; con- confused only with D. horichii and D. crebripistilstricted
area 4.3-4.5 cm wide flattened; spadix (9- lata. Both of the latter typically have much larger
)16.5-25.5 cm long, about as long as or up to 3.0 leaves that are not at all cordulate at the base
cm shorter than the spathe; free portion 7.8-8.5 cm (though they are rarely broadly and weakly subcorlong;
pistillate portion (4.8-)6-11.5 cm long; mostly date). Dieffenbachia tonduzii is polymorphic with
sterile portion sparsely flowered to naked (rarely regard to leaf markings in the same way as D. oerlacking,
as in Croat 70768), 1.8-4.0(-8.5) cm long stedii, and is quite variable in all respects. It apwith
0.6-1.5 cm totally bare, the uppermost portion pears, in Panama, to hybridize with D. oerstedii.
with a few staminodia, sometimes with a few scat- Croat & Zhu 76857C from the vicinity of Santa Fe
tered staminodia throughout, the lower half some- in Veraguas Province is apparently a hybrid with
times with an occasional pistil and much reduced characteristics intermediate between D. tonduzii
staminodia, rarely with the female flowers + equi- and D. oerstedii.
distant and nearly contiguous with staminate part The species is similar to D. daguensis, a Col-
(Croat 70768); fertile staminate portion (4-)5.5-10 ombian species described from less than 200 m
cm long, 7-10 mm diam., slightly broader midway, elevation on the Rio Dagua in Valle Department.
weakly tapering to apex and base, bluntly pointed That sl)ecies also has many rather close primary
at apex; staminate flowers 5 to 6 per spiral, + lateral veins and a fully sheathed petiole but differs
rounded in outline, crenulate along margins, trun- in having the staminate and pistillate sections of
cate at apex; sterile male flowers irregularly the spa(lix contiguous or nearly so. In addition, it
shaped, 1.8-2.5 mm diam.; pistillate portion of spa- differs in having much shorter petioles (described
dix to 11 cm long, 9-10 mm diam.; female flowers as being up to 5 cm long).
(15 to)48 to 62, closely aggregated except in the A South American species, D. parlatorei Linden
upper 1.5 cm of spadix, 4 to 5 across the width of & An(l re, also sometimes has petioles fully
the spadix (upI)ermost pistil borne on an almost sheathe(l, but differs from D. tonduzii in having leaf
bare segment of the spadix); pistils pale cream-yel- blades usually broadest al)ove the middle, semilow
to pale yellow-green, smooth, 2.3-3.5 mm glossy on the lower surface, and the midrib often
diam.; style (after stigma has fallen) sharply cupu- broadly l ounded and spongy. It also has the primary
liform, 1.5-1.7 mm diam. with a single central lateral veins arising at a 40°-60° angle from the
pore; stigmas yellow; staminodia clavate, white, 2- midrib (often at more than 60° and sometimes up
3 mm long, mostly contiguous and sometimes fused to 90° in D. tonduzii).
at base. INFRUCTESCENCES with spathe pale Cro(ll 70900, from 250 m in Choco Department
yellow; berries red to red-orange, 5-8 mm diam. of Cololllbia appears to be D. tonduzii but differs
in sevelal ways. It has leaves with the midrib flat-
Distribution and habitat. Dieffenbachia tondu- raised aI)ove with the margins undercut. It also has
zii ranges from southeast Nicaragua throughout stems that appear scurfy (though weakly glossy if
Central America to the Pacific slope of Colombia rubbed clean). Another difference is that the petiole
(Antioquia, Choc6, Cauca, Valle) and Ecuador (Es- sheath is more prominently free-ending and submeraldas,
Loja, and Los Rios), from sea level to acute at the apex. In addition, the free portion of
1400 m, in Tropical wet forest (T-wf) and Premon- the petiole is broadly and sharply sulcate.
tane rain forest (P-rf) in Central America and in
Tropical wet forest (T-wf) and Premontane wet forest Additio/lal specimens examined. COSTA RICA. Alajue-
(P-wf) and Tropical wet forest transition to Premon- la: rd. to Colonia Virgen del Socorro, Rfo Sarapiquf, Stevens
13564 (MO), Croat 68336 (CR, MEXU, MO, TEFH); Cantane
(T-wf/P) in Colombia.
t6n de Alajuela, Grayum & Murakami 9939 (CR, MO); Fin-
Phenology. Flowering in D. tonduzii occurs ca Los Ensayos, ca. 11 mi. NW of Zarcero, Croat 43629
throughout most of the year with flowering collec- (CM, MO); Canas-Upala, 10 km N of Bijagua, Croat 36472
tions seen from February through November. Most (MO); Rfo Zapote, Canas-Upala, Rfo Zapote, 4 km NNE of
Bijagua,
collections have been made from April through Au-
Croat 36260 (MO); Cordillera de Tilaranv San Ram6n-Bajo
Rodrfguezv Rfo Cataratitas, Croat 68097 (INBv
gust. According to the collections, fruits mature MO); Cordillera de Tilaran, San Ram6n-Bajo Rodrfguez,
throughout the year but with the greatest concen- vic. of km 19.5 NW of San Ram6n, Croat 78838 (MO); 17tration
from October to January.
20 km NNW of San Ram6n by rd. on way to San LorenzoS
The species is characterized by its fully sheathed 4-7 km N of Balsa, Ljiesner & Judziewicz 14797 (CRv MO);
San Ram6n-Bajo Rodrfguez, 3S37 km NW of San Ram6n,
petioles, usually matte to weakly glossy, sometimes
Croat 68196 (CMS MO, W); Naranjo-Aguas Zarcas, along
weakly velvety blades with cordulate bases and nu- Hwy. 15, 8 km NE of Quesada, Croat 46945 (K, MO, PMA);
merous, broadly spreading primary lateral veins. Arenal Volcano, Funk et al. 10626 (CR, US), Funk et al.