Anthurium clavigerum Poepp.

Description

Tom Croat

Epiphyte; scandent; stems 2 m long, 3-4 cm diam.; roots dense, 3-10 mm diam., brownish-green; cataphylls coriaceous, to 12 cm long, weathering to medium brown fibers, ultimately deciduous. Leaves erect-spreading; petiole 65-150 cm long, terete or weakly sulcate; geniculum 1.5-2 cm long; blades digitately discoid to reniform in outline, to 2 m wide, the leaflets 25-100 cm or more long, 4-12 cm wide, sinuate or lobate, acuminate at apex, acute at base, the upper surface matte, the lower surface semiglossy; the midrib of the leaflets convexly raised above and below, diminished and sunken at apex above; the primary lateral veins 3-4 per side, raised in valleys above, raised below, departing midrib at 45° angle, arcuate-ascending to form collective vein in apical portion of leaflet. Inflorescence arching-pendent; peduncle to 90 cm long, terete, shorter than petioles; spathe coriaceous, violet-purple, lanceolate, 30-65 cm long, 3-11 cm wide; spadix lavender-purple (B & K Purple 6/2.5), 20-75 cm long, to 2 cm diam. at base, to 9 mm diam. At apex; flowers rhombic, ca. 3 mm in both directions, the sides straight to slightly sigmoid; ca. 14 flowers visible in the principal spiral, ca. 8 flowers visible in the alternate spiral; tepals matte; pistil emergent but not raised, lavender; stigma linear, darker purple than pistil; stamens emerging from base, covering pistil; anthers purplish-brown; thecae irregular, not divaricate; pollen while to pinkish. Infructescence pendent; berries obovate, purple, developing in basal portion only, seeds 1-2, white, oblong.

Belize to Bolivia from sea level to 700(-1000) m.

In wet forests.

This species is not confused with any other in Central America and can be recognized by its pedalisect leaves with sinuate to lobed margins and by its huge pendent inflorescence. The species may have leaf blades to about 2 m broad making it the largest species of Anthurium in Central America. It is a member of section Dactylophyllium and is most closely related to A. sinuatum Benth. ex Schott of South America.

This species sometimes is cultivated in greenhouses.

Floras and Monographs

Anthurium clavigerum Poepp.: [Article] Mori, S. A., et al. 1997. Guide to the vascular plants of central French Guiana: Part 1. Pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and monocotyledons. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 76: 1-422.

Map Distribution

View all records of Anthurium clavigerum Poepp.

Objects

Images

Field photograph of K. S. Gonçalves 560. (image/jpeg)

Anthurium clavigerum Poepp.: Photo by C. A. Gracie. (image/jpeg)

Anthurium clavigerum Poepp.: Photo by C. A. Gracie. (image/jpeg)

Anthurium clavigerum. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Anthurium clavigerum. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Anthurium clavigerum. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Anthurium clavigerum. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Anthurium clavigerum. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Anthurium clavigerum. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Anthurium clavigerum. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Anthurium clavigerum. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Anthurium clavigerum. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Anthurium clavigerum. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Anthurium clavigerum. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)