Anthurium gracile (Rudge) Schott

Description

Author : Tom Croat

Description: Epiphyte, usually erect; roots white; stems 1.5-3 cm long, 7-10 mm diam.; internodes short; cataphylls membranaceous, 2-9.5 cm long, drying reddish or brown, persisting intact, ultimately deciduous. Leaves ± erect; petioles 1-20 cm long, ca. 3 mm diam., subterete flattened adaxially; the geniculum ca. 5 mm long; blades moderately thin, oblanceolate, 11-32 cm long, 3-8.5 cm wide, acuminate at apex, gradually tapered to long-cuneate at base; the upper surface matte to semiglossy; the midrib prominently raised almost to apex above, raised below; primary lateral veins numerous, nearly obscure; collective vein arising from base, 4-7 mm from margin. Inflorescence ± erect; peduncles 13-40 cm long, 1-3 mm diam., longer than petioles; spathe membranaceous, red-violet, lanceolate to oblong-elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 1.3-2.5 cm long, 3-7 mm wide, abruptly acuminate at apex, rounded al base; spadix sessile, purplish-brown, 0.6-6 cm long, 2-4 mm diam. midway; flowers 4-lobed, 5-5.6 mm long, 3.8-4.3 mm wide, the sides jaggedly sigmoid; 2-3 flowers visible in the principal spiral, 3-4 flowers visible in alternate spiral; tepals matte to semiglossy, punctate and minutely papillate; pistils weakly emergent, the apex ± flat; stigma exserted, buttonlike, 0.8-0.9 mm wide; stamens emerging in scattered manner; anthers cream, ca. 0.7 mm long, inclined inward over pistil; thecae ovoid, slightly divaricate; pollen white. Infructescence pendulous; peduncle to 60 cm long; spadix to 10 cm long, 1.5 cm diam.; berries bright red, ± globose, slightly longer than broad, 6-8 mm long; me-1 socarpgelatinous, ± translucent, lacking raphide cells, seeds 2, cylindroid, rounded on both ends, ca. 4 mm long, 1.6-1.8 mm diam., with an oblique depression at one end and the other end greenish, sticky gelatinous appendages at both ends.

Common names: None recorded.

Distribution: Belize to Bolivia, also in the West Indies, in Trinidad and Hispaniola from sea level to 1500 m.

Ecology: In Costa Rica and Panama the species is known only from topical moist forests.

Phenology:

Pollination:

Dispersal:

Taxonomic notes: Anthurium gracile has a large root system that may sometimes become infested with black, stinging ants. It is distinguished by its thin, ob-lanceolate, epunctate leaves, persistent, intact cataphylls, the relatively few-flowered spadix, the whitish roots, and the bright red, globose berries. Anthurium gracile has been confused with A. friedrichsthalii, which differs in having coriaceous, broadly linear leaves, conspicuously punctate on the lower surface, cataphylls that soon weather to persistent fibers, flowers more numerous on the spadix, and berries that are pale yellow-orange, broader than long, and truncate at the apex. Anthurium gracile is also confused with A. bakeri Hook. f., which has punctate leaves with a collective vein that is sunken and more conspicuous than the primary lateral veins. Anthurium gracile is the only described species of section Leptanthurium and is either an extremely variable species or comprised of some additional undescribed sibling species in the Andes of South America (Croat, 1976).

Conservation:

Uses:

Etymology: The epithet refers to the delicate aspect of the plant.

Floras and Monographs

Anthurium gracile (Rudge) Schott: [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

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Objects

Images

Habit of Anthurium gracile. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Infructescence of Anthurium gracile. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Infructescence of Anthurium gracile. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Infructescence and leaves of Anthurium gracile. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Infructescence and leaves of Anthurium gracile. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Leaves of Anthurium gracile. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Pedicels and leaves of Anthurium gracile. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)

Roots and petioles of Anthurium gracile. Photo by R. Aguilar. (image/jpeg)