Anthurium pittieri
Engl.,
Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 25: 372.1898.
Anthurium pittieri var. pittieri.
TYPE: Costa Rica. Heredia: Rancho Flores, Volcán Barba, 2,050
m, Pittier & Durand 865 (BR, hololectotype; designated by Croat
& Baker, 1979).
Epiphyte, sometimes somewhat scandent; stems less than 30 cm long; cataphylls drying dark tan, persisting intact, ultimately deciduous;
petioles 3-15 cm long, 4÷7 mm diam., subterete, usually bluntly sulcate to
weakly flattened; blades narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic to ovate-elliptic
or oblong, moderately thick, (8.5-)10-43 cm long, 1.5-9 cm wide, acute to obtuse
or rarely rounded at base. Inflorescence more or less erect; peduncle (5-)11-14
cm long; spathe green, subcoriaceous, oblong-lanceolate, (3-)7-15 cm long, 1.2-2.5
cm wide; berries yellow to orange in Panama or reportedly white in Costa Rica,
obovoid, acute at apex, 1-1.5 cm long, 7 mm diam.; seeds 2. See
Croat (1983: 349) for a more complete description.
The species is known from Costa Rica and Panama at 50 to 2,100 m in premontane wet, tropical wet, and premontane rain forest life zones. A specimen recently collected by Emesto Ancuash (1230) under the auspices of Brent Berlin's anthropological studies in Peru (Dept. of Amazonas, Río Cenepa) is possibly also this species. If so, it would be the first collection of the species from South America.
Anthurium pittieri is a member of section Oxycarpium and is distinguished by its coriaceous, epunctate leaf blades, its premature emergent berries, and especially by its long-decurrent spathe.
Anthurium pittieri consists of two varieties in Panama. Variety pittieri
has a broader elevational range extending from near sea level to about 2,000
m (averaging 800 m), while variety morii is
consistently higher, ranging from 750 to about 2,000 m (averaging
1,200 m). Variety morii differs in having longer internodes (usually
more than 1.5 cm long), more ovate blades mostly about three times longer than
broad (1.8-3.7) times longer than broad with only seven to nine moderately prominent
(on drying) primer, lateral veins. In contrast, variety pittieri usually
has 13 to 20 primary lateral veins that dry moderately obscure.
Map of Mesoamerican specimens with coordinates
Costa Rica : 1550-1600 m, 10.18N 84.47W, 19 Aug 1984, Michael H. Grayum
& Pam Sleeper 3844 (MO).
Costa Rica : 1400 m, 10.20N 84.50W, 16 Sep 1986, William A. Haber ex Eric Bello
C. 5631 (MO).
Costa Rica : Cerro Amigos, 1700 m, 10.19.5N 84.47.35W, 6 Aug 1988, Hayworth
301 (WIS).
Costa Rica Alajuela: 1400-1500 m, 10.17N 84.45.30W, 27 June 1991, Bello & Cruz
2829 (MO, CR).
Costa Rica Alajuela: W 800-1000 m, 10.12.53N 84.36.28W, 3 noviembre 1986, Gerardo
Herrera Ch. & Victor Mora 210 (MO).
Costa Rica Alajuela: R.B. Monteverde; Cordillera de Tilar‡n, 1600-1700 m, 10.18.30N
84.47.00W, 15 November 1991, Erick Bello 4261 (CR).
Costa Rica Cartago: 1350 m, 09.47N 83.48W, 6 Aug 1984, Michael H. Grayum & Pam
Sleeper 3689 (MO).
Costa Rica Cartago: 1650 m, 09.42N 83.47W, 11 Aug 1984, Michael H. Grayum, Brian
Jacobs & Pam Sleeper 3767 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: Parque Nacional Guanacaste, 1100 m, 10.55.50N 85.28.10W,
27 February 1989, Isidro Chac—n 2437 (CR, MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 1200 m, 10.48N 85.19W, 8 August 1987, Gerardo Herrera
654 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 1100 m, 10.55.45N 85.28.15W, 25 November 1990, Roberto
Espinoza 80 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 600 m, 10.57.36N 85.29.36W, 2 July 1989, I INBio 138 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 600 m, 10.57.36N 85.29.36W, 2 July 1989, I INBio 124 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 1100 m, 10.46N 85.49W, 26 November 1987, Gerardo Herrera
1416 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 1540 m, 10.21N 84.48W, 20 August 1988, William Haber &
Willow Zuchowski 8588 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: Parque Nacional Guanacaste, 1250 m, 10.55-6N 85.28-9W,
15 July 1989, INBio 193 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: Parque Nacional Guanacaste, 600 m, 10.57.6N 85.29.6W, 2
July 1989, INBio 124 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: Parque Nacional Guanacaste, 600 m, 10.57.6N 85.29.6W, 2
July 1989, INBio 138 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 900-1200 m, 10.47N 85.18W, 27-28 Jan 1983, G. Davidse et
al. 23469 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: 1100 m, 10.55.45N 85.28.15W, 24 October 1990, Carlos Ch‡vez
en el curso II de Paratax—nomos 440 (MO).
Costa Rica Guanacaste: P.N. Guanacaste, 1200-1600 m, 10.55.02N 85.27.50W, 12 July
1996, Morales et al. 5479 (CR, INB, MO).
Costa Rica Heredia:, 2 Feb 1983, Garwood et al. 892 (BM).
Costa Rica Heredia: 1500 m,, 24 Feb. 1984, Khan et al. 1276 (BM).
Costa Rica Heredia: 2060-2080 m, 10.11N 84.07W, 15 April 1986, Michael H. Grayum,
Don Wilson & Matt Jeffery 7132 (MO).
Costa Rica Heredia: R’o Sarapiqu’, 800 m,, 27 Apr 1956, Williams & Molina 19386
(MO).
Costa Rica Heredia: 1900 m, 10.05.40N 84.06.50W, 26 May 1990, Gerardo Rivera 376
(MO).
Costa Rica Heredia: W 2000 m, 10.11.35N 84.06.15W, 6 noviembre 1986, Gerardo Herrera
Ch. 243 (MO).
Costa Rica Lim—n: 1300 m, 10.04.20N 83.50.40W, 21 February 1990, Abelardo Chac—n,
G. Herrera & S. Schik 738 (MO).
Costa Rica Lim—n: P.N. Cordillera de Talamanca; Cordillera de Talamanca, 350 m,
09.26.50N 83.02.30W, 28 February 1992, Gerardo Herrera 5115 (CR, MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 1500 m, 10.15N 84.48W, 9 January 1990, Erick Bello 1721
(CR,MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 1500 m, 10.15N 84.48W, 9 January 1990, Erick Bello 1722
(MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: Monteverde Reserve, 1500-1550 m, 10.18N 84.48W, 29 July
1992, Ingram & Ferrell-Ingram 1581 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 1400 m, 10.18N 84.48W, 27 June 1988, William Haber ex K.G.
Murray 8484 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: 1500-1620 m,, 13 July 1984, Willow Z. Pounds 268 (MO).
Costa Rica Puntarenas: R.B. Monteverde; Cordillera de Tilar‡n, 1700 m, 10.19N
84.48W, 6 March 1990, Erick Bello 2117 (CR)
Costa Rica Puntarenas: Cordillera de Tilar‡n, 1200 m, 10.16.33N 84.47.45W, 12
August 1993, Zobeida Fuentes & K. Taylor 433 (CR).
Costa Rica San José: Z.P. La Cangreja; Cerros de Puriscal, 400 m, 09.42.50N 84.23.30W,
8 May 1993, J.F. Morales 1450 (CR).
Panama Bocas del Toro: 600 m, 8.47N 82.12W, 12 Mar. 1985, Hampshire & Whitefoord
479 (BM)
Panama Chiriquí:, 6 Feb 1986, Michael Grayum, Barry Hammel & Bonnie Bochan 6357
(MO).
Panama Chiriquí: 1100-1135 m, 8.43N 82.17W, 8 March 1985, T.B. Croat & M.H. Grayum
60060 (MO).
Panama Chiriquí: 1630-1780 m, 8.46N 82.25W, 18 June 1987, Thomas B. Croat 66381
(MO).
Panama CoclŽ: 200-400 m, 8.45N 80.35W, 4 Feb. 1983, C. Hamilton & G. Davidse 2745
(MO).
Panama CoclŽ: 850-950 m, 8.37N 80.08W, 14 July 1987, Thomas B. Croat 67293 (MO).
Panama CoclŽ: 850 m, 08.37N 80.07W, 14 July 1987, Gordon McPherson 11267 (MO).
Panama CoclŽ: 200-400 m, 8.42.43N 80.37.15W, 3 Feb 1983, G. Davidse & C.W. Hamilton
23612 (MO).
Panama Panamá: 800-900 m, 8.40N 79.55W, 6 Jan. 1994, Correa, M. et al. 10291 (STRI).
Panama Panamá: 800-950 m, 8.40N 79.50W, 31 Dec 1985, Gordon McPherson 7913 (MO).
Panama Veraguas: 800-1100 m, 8.35N 81.05W, 15 July 1983, C. Hamilton & K. Krager
3935 (MO).
Map of South American Specimens with coordinates
Peru Amazonas: Río Cenepa, 200-250 m, 04.30S 78.38W, 11 Agosto 1978, Ernesto
Ancuash Atsut 1404 .