Epiphyte; stems short, 2.5-3 cm diam.; roots few, thick, puberulent to densely velutinous; cataphylls coriaceous, 9-15 cm long, caudate-acuminate at apex, drying reddish-brown (B & K Yellow 4/2.5), persisting ± intact, ultimately weathering to a network of fibers at base.

LEAVES erect to spreading; petioles 13-100 cm long, 3-10 mm diam., subterete, shallowly and bluntly sulcate; geniculum 2-2.5 cm long, sometimes tinged red-violet (B & K Red-purple 4/10); blades narrowly ovate-triangular, moderately thick, 15-66 cm long, 11-48 cm wide, broadest at base, gradually acuminate at apex (the acumen flat, apiculate), prominently lobed at base; anterior lobe 11-40 cm long, the margins straight to convex; posterior lobes 4-13 cm long, directed sharply upward; the upper surface matte to semiglossy, lower surface paler; midrib convexly raised above, sometimes tinged reddish, sunken at apex, acutely raised below; basal veins 5-6 pairs, the first to fourth coalesced 2-6 cm, the posterior rib naked, upturned along outer margin; primary lateral veins 4-8 per side, departing midrib at 25°-35° angle, raised in valleys at base above, sunken at apex, raised below; lesser veins visible but less prominent; collective vein arising from first basal vein or lowest primary lateral vein, 2-7 mm from margin.

INFLORESCENCE erect, longer than leaves; peduncle 51-65.6 cm long, 4-6 mm diam., terete, green mottled with red-violet, longer than petioles; spathe lanceolate, green (B & K Yellow-green 6/10), 8-23 cm long, 1.5-4.5 cm wide, acuminate at apex, round to cordate at base; spadix stipitate to ca. 11 cm, violet-purple, 7-28 cm long, 4-15 mm diam.; flowers rhombic, 2.5-3.2 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, the sides straight to sigmoid; 7-10 flowers visible in the principal spiral, 5-12 flowers visible in the alternate spiral; tepals matte, punctate, minutely papillate, sometimes with droplets, lateral tepals 1.8-2 mm wide, the inner margin broadly rounded; pistils emergent; stigmas linear, ca. 0.5 mm long, large droplet apparent ca. 1 week before first stamens appear, turning glossy then gray and drying when anthers open; stamens emerging rapidly in a ± systematic progression from base, lateral stamens emerging in basal one third before alternates emerge, held in circle around pistil; anthers yellow or tinged purple, thecae moderately divaricate, pollen purple fading to white sometimes yellow, with a pungent fruity aroma at anthesis.

INFRUCTESCENCE pendent-spreading, 38 cm long, 3 cm diam.; berries ellipsoid to obovoid, 5-8 mm long, ca. 5 mm wide, orange to red-orange (B & K Yellow-red 7/2.5); pericarp thick; mesocarp juicy; seeds 2. oblong, greenish-white, flattened with transparent sticky appendages at both ends, elongated at apex, rounded at base. Figs. 22 and 23.

The species is known from Costa Rica to Colombia at elevations from near sea level to 1,200 m. In Costa Rica the species occurs in premontane wet and tropical wet forest. In Panama it also occurs rarely in premontane moist and tropical moist forest.
The species was confused with A. denudatum Engl. from Colombia by Standley (1944) in the Flora of Panama, but that species has a peduncle much shorter than the petioles, as well as a shorter spadix. Anthurium brownii is a member of section Belolonchium and is distinguished by its thick blades with usually undulate margins and reticulate veins that dry very prominent. The leaf tends to dry silver or grayish on both surfaces. Also distinctive are the long, slender, violet-purple spadix and the red-orange berries.
 
 
 
 

Map of Mesoamerican specimens with coordinates

Costa Rica Alajuela:, , Burger & Baker 9855 (F, MO).
Costa Rica Alajuela: 500 m, 10.55N 85.20W, 4 November 1987, Gerardo Herrera 1130 (MO).
Costa Rica Alajuela: 600 m, 10.43.30N 85.00.30W, 14 July 1988, Gerardo Herrera 2091 (MO).
Costa Rica Alajuela: 650 m, 10.22N 84.38W, 29 Jun 1985, B. Hammel, E. Bello & W. Haber 14069 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 1000 m, 11.02.00N 85.25.20W, 14 June 1989, Barry Hammel & Curso de Biodiversidad (INBio) 17470 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 600 m, 10.45N 85.18W, 8 March 1988, Gerardo Herrera 1616 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 700 m, 10.46.45N 85.15.38W, 20 June 1991, Gerardo Rivera 1398 (MO).
Costa Rica Heredia: Río La Paz Grande, 1400-1600 m,, 29 May 1976, Thomas B. Croat 35859 (MO).
Costa Rica Lim—n: 5 m, 09.38N 82.39W, 2 Nov 1984, Michael Grayum & Willie Burton 4335 (MO).
Costa Rica Lim—n: 700 m, 9.47.25N 83.06.30W, 15 April 1989, Gerardo Herrera & Abelardo Chacón 2629 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: Parque Nacional Corcovado, 1-50 m, 08.28N 83.35W, 21 June 1989, Kernan 1175 (CR, MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 90-105 m, 8.46N 83.18W, 16 Sept. 1987, Thomas B. Croat 67665 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 200-400 m, 08.42N 83.31W, 7 Oct 1984, M. Grayum, G. Herrera, G. Schatz & F. Chavarría 4018 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas:, , Koch 5065 (MO). Costa Rica Puntarenas: 0 m, 8.27N 83.33W, 17 June 1988, C. Kernan & P. Phillips 591 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 300 m,, 16 July 1991, Juan Marín 13 (MO, CR).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 50-150 m, 8.42.20N 83.31.30W, 5 August 1991, Reinaldo Aguilar 189 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 50-150 m, 8.42.20N 83.31.30W, 10 August 1991, Reinaldo Aguilar 242 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 200 m, 8.40N 83.34W, 3 June 1988, Barry Hammel G. Herrera, & M.M. Chavarría 17005 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: Faja Costeña de la Bahía de Coronado, 100-600 m, 09.13.00N 83.47.40W, 27 December 1992, Alvaro Fernandez 563 (CR).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: R.F. Golfo Dulce; Península de Osa, 100 m, 08.44.35N 83.35.25W, 24 June 1990, Gerardo Herrera 4252 (CR)
. Costa Rica Puntarenas: R.F. Golfo Dulce; Península de Osa, 200 m, 08.40N 83.34W, 11 September 1990, Barry Hammel, H. Kennedy & J. Solomon 17839 (CR).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 110 m, 08.48.39N 83.16.18W, 10 September 1996, Thomas B. Croat & Dylan Hannon 79188 .
Costa Rica San José:, , Utley & Utley 4926 (DUKE).

El Salvador :Jardin Botanico, 800 m, 13.40N 89.15W, 8 July 1989, Villacorta & Martínez 302 (KYO, MO, OOM).

Panama :, 1974, Munich 382/74 (MO).
Panama Canal Area:, 05 Jul 1967, Stimson 5265 (FSU).
Panama Canal Area: < 25 m, 09.19.00N 79.57.30W, 20 June 1994, Thomas B. Croat & Guanghua Zhu 76277 (MO).
Panama CoclŽ: 150 m, 8.46N 80.27W, 11 Sept. 1987, Thomas B. Croat 67483 (MO).
Panama CoclŽ: 800 m, 8.43N 80.28W, 18 Dec. 1983, H.W. Churchill, A. Lier & W.S. Hambruster 4172 (MO).
Panama Col—n: 0 m,, 22 Mar. 1976, Thomas B. Croat 33564 (MO).
Panama Col—n: 200-300 m, 9.20N 79.47W, 1 Aug. 1983, James S. Miller & Leslie Miller 917 (MO).
Panama Col—n:, 22 Mar. 1976, Thomas B. Croat 33579 (MO).
Panama Darien: Cerro Sopa,, 18 May 1979, Hammel 7258A (MO).
Panama Darien: Cerro Sapo, 3600 ft.,, 1 Feb. 1978, Hammel 1163 (MO).
Panama Darien: Cerro Sapo, 1085 m,, 1 Feb. 1978, Hammel 1164 (MO).
Panama Darien: Cerro Sapo, 1085 m,, 1 Feb. 1978, Hammel 1165 (MO).
Panama Darien: Cerro Sapo, 1085 m,, 1 Feb. 1978, Hammel 1162 (MO).
Panama Panamá: 300 m,, 18 July 1976, Sullivan 439 (MO).
Panama Panamá: 1000 ft., 9.16N 78.58W, 22 Oct. 1980, Sytsma 1723 (MO).
Panama Panamá:, 28 Sept. 1972, Tyson 6840 (MO).
Panama Panamá: 325-350 m,, 17 07 1987, Croat 67371 (MO).
Panama Panamá: 09.15N 79.30W, 17 June 1994, Thomas B. Croat & Guanghua Zhu 76217 (MO, WU).
Panama Panamá: 400 m,, , Tyson & Nee 7353 (AAU).
Panama San Blas: Río Grande (Ukupseni), 100-150 m, 9.15N 78.15W, 1 Nov. 1991, Herrera et al. 1044A (MO).
Panama San Blas: 200 m, 9.19N 78.55W, 17 Jun 1986, G. de Nevers, H. Herrera, G. McPherson, B. D'Arcy & B. Allen 7840 (MO).
Panama San Blas: 30 m, 9.24N 79.24W, 27 March 1986, Greg de Nevers, H.Herrera & S.Charnely 7590 (MO).