Epiphyte; stems 10-20 cm long, 5-10 mm diam.; roots thin, descending; leaf scars hidden by cataphylls; cataphylls thin, 1-3 cm long, drying tan, weathering into longitudinal fibers.

LEAVES erect-spreading; petioles 3.5-19 cm long, 1-2.5 cm diam., sharply and deeply sulcate (the sulcus rounded to flattened with an obscure medial rib near apex), round, dark glands scattered on surface; geniculum 2-15 mm long; blades subcori-aceous, elliptic to lanceolate, sometimes arched along midrib and downtumed at apex, long acuminate, obtuse at base, (4÷) 7-14 cm long, (1.3-)2.5-8.5 cm wide, broadest at middle or in lower one-fourth of blade; semiglossy on both surfaces, the upper surface with depressed, black glands, the lower surface with reddish brown glands; midrib sharply raised at base above, flat toward middle, sunken at apex, raised below; primary lateral veins (3-)4-7 per side, departing midrib at 40÷45° angle, etched into surface above, prominulous below; collective vein arising from base, etched into surface above, raised below, secondary collective vein arising from the base, usually running out to margin near middle or below.

INFLORESCENCE erect-spreading; peduncle 11.2-26 cm long, ca. 2 mm diam., sometimes tinged red-violet, equalling or twice as long as petioles; spathe thin, green, tinged red-violet, narrowly ovate, 2-5.2 cm long, 0.9-1.6 cm wide, broadest near middle or just below, inserted at 65° angle on peduncle, becoming reflexed with the margins turned up; stipe 3-17 mm long; spadix deep maroon (B & K Red-purple 2/10-3/10), 1-4.2 cm long, 4-6 mm diam. near base, 2-3 mm diam. near apex; flowers weakly 4-lobed, 2.5-4 mm long, 2.7-3.2 mm wide, the sides straight parallel to spirals, sigmoid perpendicular to spirals, 3-4 flowers visible in the principal spiral, 5-6 flowers visible in the alternate spiral; tepals matte, densely papillate, lateral tepals 1.5-1.7 mm wide, the inner margins straight to convex; pistils emergent, glossy, green, sometimes tinged reddish; stigmas linear, 0.6-0.7 mm long; stamens emerging in a prompt, complete sequence from the base, laterals first, exserted fully above edge of tepals, promptly retracting below edge of tepals, the laterals usually fully retracted before alternates emerge; anthers white, ca. 0.5 mm long, ca. 0.7 mm wide, held flat over edge of pistil before retracting; thecae ovate, not divaricate; pollen white.

INFRUCTESCENCE with spadix ca. 4 cm long, 1 cm diam. (to 2.3 cm with berries exserted); berries orange to red, depressed-globose to obovoid, depressed and darker reddish at apex, 4-5 mm long, 5-6 mm diam.; mesocarp fleshy, gelatinous; seeds 2-3(-4), tan, 2-2.2 mm long, 1.5-1.7 mm wide, 1 mm thick. Figs. 147 and 148.

Anthurium Intense is endemic to central Panama in the Provinces of Chiriquí, Code, and Veraguas at 800 to 1,350 m in premontane and lower montane rain forest life zones. Most collections thus far have been made on Cerro Tute (thus the name) above Santa Fe or along the Continental Divide above El Copé; one collection was recently made in Chiriquí.

This species is one of the smallest Anthuriums and is a member of section Porphyrochitonium. It is characterized by its small lanceolate to ovate, gracefully long-acuminate leaf blades that are glandular-punctate on both surfaces and are often arched along the midrib in live plants. Also characteristic are the minutely etched veins and a dense scattering of minute but clearly visible, sunken veins on the upper surface (not obviously sunken on dried material). The stem has short internodes with persistent cataphylls. Also characteristic are the maroon spadix and orange to red berries.

The species is similar to Anthurium jefense in size and general appearance of the leaves, but that species has leaves that are much less acuminate and has the veins weakly raised on dried specimens whereas A tutense has the veins weakly sunken.

Map of Mesoamerican specimens with coordinates

Panama Chiriquí: 1100 m, 8.47N 82.12W, 21 March 1985, Hampshire & Whitefoord 774 (BM).
Panama Veraguas: 800-1000 m, 8.35N 81.05W, 20 Feb. 1983, C. Hamilton & R. Dressler 3027 (MO).
Panama Veraguas: 1000-1300 m, 8.35N 80.07W, 20 Feb. 1983, C. Hamilton & R. Dressler 3061 (MO).
Panama Veraguas: 1250-2350 m,, 30 Nov. 1979, Thomas B. Croat 48951 (MO).