Terrestrial or sometimes epipetric or epiphytic stem 1-3 cm diam., usually less than 15 cm long; cataphylls turning tan, ultimately weathering to fine persisting fibers; petioles 15-65 cm long, 5-7 mm diam., more or less terete, weakly sulcate or flattened; blades narrowly ovate to triangular, subcoriaceous, shallowly and broadly lobed at base, 16-56 cm long, 9.5-25 cm wide. Inflorescence erect-spreading; peduncles terete, 4.5-20÷46 cm long; spathe green, pale green or green with purplish veins or heavily suffused with purple on inner surface, sometimes tinged purple only at base medially, ovate to narrowly ovate, (2.5-)5-9(-12) cm long, (1.7-)2.7-t.5 cm wide;

stipe green or green tinged with purple, 1-2 cm long; spadix green to dark purple-violet at an-thesis, (2.5-)5-25 cm long, 7-15 mm diam. at base, with a pungent, sweet scent when droplets are fresh; berries pale orange, obovoid, 12-15 mm long, 8-11 mm diam., rounded at apex, the apex darker, depressed with 4 short, slightly cl-evated ridges; seeds usually 2. See Croat (1983:282) for a more complete description.

Anthurium cotobrusii is found in Costa Rica and Panama in premontane wet forest at elevations of 1,000 to 1,500 m.

The species is in section Belolonchium and is most easily distinguished by its subcoriaceous leaves that have more or less obscure reticulate veins when fresh but have conspicuous reticulate veins when dry and by its prominently tapered, violet purple spadix with a tight cluster of stamens. The early emergent berries are quadrangular with prominent ridges radiating from the center to the comers.

It is most easily confused with Anthurium ranchoanum, which has similar leaves; the latter, however, has a short, cylindroid, scarcely tapered spadix that is usually nodding and hooded by the spadix when in flower and berries that are smoothly rounded at the apex.

Chiriquí: Vicinity Planes de Hornito, Croat 48850 (MO); above San Felix, Croat 33058 (B, CAS, COL. CR, DUKE, F, GH, K, M, MO, NY, PMA, RSA. SEL US, W), 33147A, 33152 (MO), Nee 10699 (MO).