Philodendron rayanum

Epiphytic (or epilithic) vine climbing to at least 4 m, the branches divergent from the host tree. Internodes 0.2-6.9 (-15.3) cm long, 0.4-0.7 (-0.9) cm wide, gray-green, semi-glossy, moderately pustulate, drying yellowish (becoming cafe-au- lait) and coarsely sulcate; roots occasionally present at distal nodes, to ca. 1.5 mm in diameter. LEAVES: Petiole 5.8-17.0 cm long, P/L=0.32-0.59, sheathed 81-94 (-97)%, the sheath spreading-erect to involute, adnate or prolonged distally to ca. 1.5 mm; unsheathed portion of petiole 0.4-2.5 cm long, flattened above. Lamina (10.7-) 14.2-40.4 (-42.3) cm long, (3.0-) 4.4-14.4 (-22.7) cm wide, L/W=(1.52-) 1.83-3.10 (-7.85, juvenile leaves), IQI=(0-) 1-7, thinly coriaceous, semiglossy to glossy on both surfaces ("not glossy on either side," McPherson 9019), weakly bicolored, narrowly to broadly lanceolate or oblanceolate to elliptical, oblong or ovate (broadest below to above the middle), abruptly short- to long-acuminate apically [the acumen (0.2-) 0.7-1.1 (-2.0) cm long], narrowly cuneate to subtruncate, rounded or subcordate basally; midrib flat to sunken above, convex below; primary lateral veins 9-16 per side, 0.4-4.5 cm apart, prominently sunken above, convex below, with interprimaries usually evident; minor veins obscurely visible above, visible below and slightly darker; abaxial laminar surface with reticulate venation very prominent throughout and enclosing granular areolae; white stitching very rare to regular; resin canals may be visible; adaxial surface moderately and evenly granular, with reticulate veins prominent or visible only toward the margins; white stitching not evident or (rarely) occasional; resin canals not visible (or an occasional one visible). INFLORESCENCES solitary or occasionally (Mcpherson 9019) paired; cataphylls regularly 1 per inflorescence, 5.8-14.5 cm long, 0.5-1.8 cm wide, red to purple- violet, prominently undulate, appearing rounded dorsally; peduncle 1.3-3.5 cm long, P/S=0.16-0.33; spathe at anthesis 9.1-15.9 cm long, 2.0-3.2 (-3.4) cm wide, externally green below, paler distally, densely short-lineolate, reddish along the margin, internally mostly whitish, with red in the tube(?); spathe drying densely and evenly granular externally, with some whitish lenticels, internally moderately and evenly granular, with longitudinal secretory striations ca. 3/5-7/10 to apex; acumen of spathe 0.6-2.2 cm long. Stipe of spadix 0.2-0.8 cm long; spadix 7.8-12.5 (-13.7) cm long, the fertile male portion 0.7-1.2 cm wide, white; sterile male zone 0.45-0.90 cm long; female portion of spadix 2.1-4.1 cm long (to 5.7+ cm in fruit), F/S=(0.23-) 0.26-0.33, 0.8-1.2 cm wide (to 3.7+ cm in fruit), green or yellowish; fertile male flowers 1.6-2.0 mm long, 0.6-1.7 mm wide, irregularly polygonal, columnar; sterile male flowers 1.9-2.2 mm long, 0.6-1.6 mm wide, clavate; female flowers 1.9-2.3 mm long, 0.6-1.1 mm wide, the stylar canals 3-4. INFRUCTESCENCES: Ripe fruits described as "pink" (Maas & Dressler 1606) or "yellow-orange'' (Grayum et al. 9875). Seeds 0.7-1.2 mm long, 0.20-0.25 mm wide, straight to slightly or (rarely) strongly curved, very finely striate with the striae cancellate, drying pale brown and semiglossy. Figs. 66-67.