Monstera coclensis Croat

Croat, Thomas B., Cedeño-Fonseca, Marco & Ortiz, Orlando O., 2024, Revision of Monstera (Araceae: Monsteroideae) of Central America, Phytotaxa 656 (1), pp. 1-197 : 49

9. Monstera coclensis Croat , sp. nov.

The species is characterized by its petioles sheathed to the geniculum, a persistent sheath, entire, narrowly ovate-elliptic, non-perforate, dark brown-drying blades with the spadix more than twice as long as the spathe.

Type: — PANAMA. Coclé: Above El Potroso sawmill at Continental Divide, N. of El Copé , 1200–1300 m, Sytsma & Andersson 4529 (holotype MO-2908952 !, isotype PMA!) .

Nomadic vine, appressed-climbing habit. SEEDLINGS: unknown. JUVENILE PLANTS: root climbers; stems dark green, minutely spotted, with yellow-brown deciduous epidermis, drying surface dark brown, matte, longitudinally striated; internodes 1–3(10) cm long, 0.6–1.5 cm diam., 1.6–2.0 times longer than wide; blades dark green, minutely stained yellow-brown, drying dark brown, matte, longitudinally striated, cordate or rounded at base, faintly glaucous adaxially.ADULT PLANTS: root climbers; stems drying dark brown, matte, ribbed; internodes with a ripped yellow-brown epidermis, shorter than wide, 1.5 cm diam.; petiole pale green, sometimes with pale dots, dark brown when dry, matte, 21–30 cm long, prominently sheathed to base of the geniculum or 1 cm above the geniculum; petiole sheath persistent; geniculum markedly sulcate; blades narrowly ovate-elliptic, equilateral, one side 1–2 cm wide, rounded to obtuse at base, coriaceous, short acuminate, drying dark-green to brown, matte or faintly glossy, (18)32–34 × (6) 9–13 cm, (2.1)2.3–2.9 times longer than wide; midrib ribbed adaxially, convex abaxially, drying light-brown or reddish-brown on both surfaces; primary lateral veins 7–10 per side, strongly sunken adaxially, prominent abaxially, departing midrib at 30–45°, drying narrowly convex and concolorous adaxially, narrowly rounded and slightly paler abaxially, secondary veins parallel and prominent, reticulate at the margin; collective veins slightly visible; fenestrations apparently absent; margins entire. INFLORESCENCES on ascending stems; peduncle smooth, pale green or brown, drying dark, matte to faintly glossy, 13–21 cm long, 5–10 mm diam.; spathe acuminate, white or greenish externally and white or creamy internally at anthesis, completely open in the apical and basal part, drying dark brownish-purple, 11–26 × 8.2–15.0 cm, up to 4 cm longer than the spadix; spadix white or creamy (both during development and a anthesis), 3.7–9.5 cm long, 1.8–2.2 cm diam., 2.1–4.6 times longer than wide; basal sterile flowers 3–4 mm long; fertile flowers 4–6 mm long; ovary rectangular in longitudinal section, ribbed, 3–4 × 1.5–2.5 mm; style rounded to irregularly angular, more or less truncate to markedly sunken at the medial part with raised margins and moderately irregular-lumpy, densely papillose, 3–5 × 1.5–2 mm; stigma yellow-orange, moderately raised, margins slightly paler, narrow and erect; berries unknown; seeds unknown.

Distribution and ecology: — Monstera coclensis is endemic to the Panama from the El Copé region of Coclé region of Coclé Province, in Premontane wet forest at 1200–1300 m.

Phenology: —Flowering in January and May.

Etymology: —The species named for the Province of Coclé where it was first collected.

Discussion: —The species is a member of sect. Monstera , it is probably most easily confused with the morphotype of M. epipremnoides from southwestern Costa Rica. That species differs in having more ovate blades, ca 2.1 times longer than broad, a broader petiole sheath, the stigmas subrounded and barely more than 1 mm long and especially by having the spathe only slightly longer than the spadix at anthesis (vs. over 2.5 times longer than wide in M. coclensis ).

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — PANAMA. Coclé: Above El Potroso sawmill at Continental Divide , N of El Cope. Low cloud forest, 08°40’36”N 080°36’36”W, 1200–1300 m, 13 May 1981, K.J. Sytsma & L. Andersson 4585 ( MO!) ; Above El Potroso sawmill at Continental Divide , N of El Cope. Low cloud forest, 08°40’36”N 080°36’36”W, 1200–1300 m, 13 May 1981, K.J. Sytsma & L. Andersson 4529 ( MO!) ; Vicinity of La Mesa, N of El Valle de Antón, along N slope of Cerro Gaital , 08°37’N 080°08’W, 850–950 m, 14 July 1987, Thomas B. Croat 67294 ( MO!) .