Monstera epipremnoides Engl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst.

Croat, Thomas B., Cedeño-Fonseca, Marco & Ortiz, Orlando O., 2024, Revision of Monstera (Araceae: Monsteroideae) of Central America, Phytotaxa 656 (1), pp. 1-197 : 77-80

17. Monstera epipremnoides Engl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 37: 118. 1905. ( Figs. 32 , 33 )

Type: — Costa Rica. ‘[San José,] La Uruca , 1100 m., July 1890, P. Biolley 2846 ’ [(lectotype B! seen on-line, barcode B100141893, isolectotypes BR! [with label data of Pittier 2486], CR! [with label data of Biolley 2846, pro parte — mixtum: one un-numbered sheet of two], designated by Madison (1977)).

Robust nomadic vine, appressed-climbing habit. SEEDLINGS: bearing foliage leaves. JUVENILE PLANTS: root climbers; stems dark green, smooth, cylindrical, white-dotted; internodes 4–7 cm long, 5–10 mm diam.; petiole distinct, light green with white dots, smooth, 7–10 cm long, sheathed to base of the geniculum; petiole sheath persistent; blades ovate to lanceolate, obtuse or attenuate at base, acuminate, coriaceous, 13–17 × 4–9 cm, not appressed to the phorophyte; fenestrations absent or present, frequently arranged on one side of the blade when present. ADULT PLANTS: root climbers; stems beige to dark or light green, smooth, cylindrical; internodes 1–7 cm long, 1.5–4.0 cm diam., 0.6–1.7 times as long as wide; cataphylls greenish-white, deciduous; anchor roots dark brown; feeder roots beige; petiole light green, whitish or mottled, smooth, 30–50 cm long, sheathed to base of the geniculum; petiole sheath persistent and thick; geniculum smooth, flat adaxially, convex abaxially, white spotted, 3–5 cm long; blades ovate to elliptic or oblong, broadly rounded or truncate at base, short-acuminate at apex, coriaceous, drying light brown, dull beige or bright brown, 20–70 × 20–40 cm, 1.5–2.2 times longer than wide, slightly decurrent on the geniculum, decurrent portion 1–3 mm; midrib ribbed adaxially, convex abaxially, drying dark brown or matte-beige on both surfaces; primary lateral veins 9–20 per side, departing midrib at 80–90°, sunken above, prominent below, drying dark brown; collective veins not visible; fenestrations absent or present, on each side of the midrib when present; margins entire or deeply pinnatifid, with 3–15 lobes per side, each 1.8–9.0 cm wide, wider lobes fenestrated with up to 4 veins. INFLORESCENCES on ascending and pendent stems, 1 or 2 simultaneously at flowering time, arranged in the leaf axils or into cataphylls; peduncle light green, 7–20 cm long; spathe acuminate, green during development, cream, yellowish green or white externally and white internally at anthesis, coriaceous, completely open at apex with the margins overlapping at base and revolute in the medial part, deciduous or marcescent after anthesis, 15–25 × 8–13 cm, up to 13 cm longer than the spadix; spadix white during development, cream-yellowish at anthesis, 10–15 cm long, 1.5–3.5 cm diam., 3.4–5.5 times longer than wide; basal sterile flowers 4–5 mm long, with a yellowish stigmatic secretion; fertile flowers 4–8 mm long; stamens 3–7 mm long, with laminar filaments; anthers 3–4 mm long; ovary rectangular in longitudinal section, ribbed, 5–6 × 2–3 mm; style compressed and hexagonal, 2–4 × 3–4 mm; stigmatophore conical, 0.5–1.0 mm long; stigma circular, with a yellowish stigmatic secretion; berries with a light-green stylar cap during development, mature stylar cap creamy-white; pulp white; seeds black, spherical, 4–6 mm long.

Distribution and ecology: — Monstera epipremnoides is known from Costa Rica and Panama. In Costa Rica it is known from both slopes of the Cordillera de Talamanca, occurring at 1200–2200 m, in Tropical wet forest and Premontane rain forest life zones. In Panama it is known from only the one collection from Chiriquí, growing at 1200–1400 in a Premontane rain forest life zone.

Phenology: —Flowering in January, March-May and September. Fruiting in February-March, June, August-September and December.

Discussion: —This species is a member of sect. Monstera . It differs from the other species of the genus by the mottled or whitish petiole, the persistent petiolar sheath with open wings, pinnatifid leaf blades with fenestrations on each side next to the midrib, the green spathe yellowish externally and up to 13 cm longer than the spadix, and the circular stigma, slightly raised on a stigmatophore. It is similar to M. monteverdensis but differs in that the latter has green or mottled petioles with the sheath deciduous, leaves which are pinnatifid but without fenestrations on each side next to the midrib, spathes which are light green or yellowish externally.

Specimens of M. oreophila which have their blade with the perforations broken through along the margins can be confused with specimens of M. epipremnoides but that species differs in having deciduous petiole sheaths and a pink spathe on the inside ( Grayum, 2003; Cedeño-Fonseca et al. 2022).

For more details about the taxonomic comments and nomenclatural note see Cedeño-Fonseca et al. (2022).

Additional specimens examined: — COSTA RICA. Puntarenas: Parrita, Parrita, San Josecito , Finca de Marvin Abarca , Fila Chonta , 1400 m, 24 November 2003, (Fl.), A. Quesada 1231 ( CR!) ; San José: Mora, Tabarcia, Z.P. Cerros de Escazú, Río Negro, entrando por Palmichal , 1500 m, 4 March 1990, (Fl.), L. Vargas et al. 991 ( CR!) ; Pérez Zeledón, Rivas, Del límite del Parque al sendero Termómetro , 2000 m, 5 May 1997, (Fl.), R. Aguilar 5079 ( CR!) ; Pérez Zeledón, Rivas, Sendero al Chirripo , fila cementerio La Máquina, colectado en bosque y orilla de potrero, 1900 m, 16 September 1997, (Fr.), E. Alfaro 1437 ( CR!) ; Turrubares, San Luis, Vecindades de Llano Caite , 1500 m, 5 March 1993, (Fr.), Q. Jiménez 1184 ( CR!, MO!) ; Acosta, Cangrejal, Cerros de Caraigres, Alto Reflis , camino a Fila Aguabuena , 1600 m, 2 January 1997, (Fl.), J. Morales 5977 ( CR!, MO!) ; Mora, Tabarcia, Santa Ana , Targuá , 1300 m, 6 November 2004, (Fl.), D. Santamaría 249 ( CR!) ; Dota, Copey, Cedro Eco Lodge , 1900 m, 9 February 2018, (Fl.), M. Cedeño et al. 1274 ( USJ!) ; Dota, Copey, Cedro Eco Lodge , 1900 m, 9 February 2018, (Fl., Fr.), M. Cedeño et al. 1275 ( USJ!) ; San José, Escazú, Escazú, Cerro Pico Alto , 1758 m, 22 September 2018, (Fl.), M. Cedeño & K. Benavides 1476 ( USJ!) ; Turrubares, San Pedro, San Pablo de Turrubares , 300 m, 9 December 2004, (Fl., Fr.), D. Santamaría 338 ( CR!) ; Acosta, Sabanillas, Sabanas , 2 km al sur de la Escuela, 1062 m, 30 October 2001, (Fl.), A. Quesada et al. 760 ( CR!) ; Acosta, Cangrejal, Z.P. Caraigres, Cuenca del Pirrís-Damas, Alto Reflis, falda Norte , Fila Aguabuena , 1800 m, 16 February 2001, (Fr.), J. Morales 7490 ( CR!) .

Figures

FIGURE 32. Monstera epipremnoides from Dota, Costa Rica. (A) Developing inflorescence. (B) Inflorescence with open spathe, front and back views. (C) Juvenile plant. (D) Immature infructescence. (E) Fertile flower; in lateral view (left) and in longitudinal section (right). (F) Stylar plate with stigma (left) and one stamen (right). (G) Sterile flower; lateral view (left) and longitudinal section (right). (H) Seeds. (I) Adult plant. M. Cedeño et al. 1275 (USJ). Image from Cedeño-Fonseca et al. (2022).

FIGURE 33. Monstera epipremnoides from Tarrazú, Costa Rica. Adult plant growing 2 m above the ground in a tree in Tarrazú, Costa Rica. M. Cedeño 1701 (USJ). Photo by M. Cedeño-Fonseca.