Anthurium pendulifolium N. E. Br.

Epiphytic, rarely terrestrial; stem pendent, 20–30 cm long, 1.5–3.5 cm diam.; leaf scars reported as conspicuous, ca. 2.8 cm wide; roots moderately dense, descending, brown, 6 mm diam.; cataphylls moderately coriaceous, broadly lanceolate, scarcely 1-ribbed, 4–19 cm long, acuminate at apex with subapical apiculum, green, drying brown (B & K yellow-red 9/2.5), persisting as coarse linear fibers, the apex remaining intact. Leaves spreading-pendent to pendent; petioles 27–65 cm long, 5–10 mm diam., terete to subterete or thicker than broad, slightly flattened adaxially, rounded abaxially, the surface minutely pale-speckled; geniculum paler and thicker than petiole, 1.5–3.5 cm long; sheath 2.5–12 cm; blades coriaceous to subcoriaceous, oblong to oblanceolate, acuminate at apex, acute to rounded (rarely subcordate) at base, 64–190(207) cm long, 16–32(47.5) cm wide, broadest above the middle, the margins weakly revolute, broadly and weakly undulate; upper surface glossy to semiglossy, light to medium green (B & K yellow-green 5/10), lower surface matte, paler; midrib convexly to obtusely raised, paler than surface above, obtusely anguled below; primary lateral veins (8)11–15 per side, departing midrib at 45 degree angle, arcuate-ascending to the margin, sunken in shallow grooves above, paler than surface, raised below; interprimary veins few, obscure; tertiary veins obscure above, scarcely raised and darker than surface below; collective vein arising in the lower third to about the middle of the blade, less prominent than primary lateral veins, (4)7–14 mm from margin. Inflorescences erect-spreading; peduncle 35–52 cm long, 0.5–1 cm diam., 0.5–1.7 times as long as petiole, terete; spathe reflexed and twisted, subcoriaceous, pale yellowish green to creamy white, violet at margins and at base (B & K yellow-red 9/10), oblong-lanceolate, (9)20–30(60) cm long, 1.5–4.8 cm wide, broadest just above the base, acuminate at apex (the acumen inrolled), acute at base; stipe 8–12 mm long in front, 2–5 mm long in back; spadix reddish violet to reddish purple (B & K purple 2/7.5 to red-purple 7/5–10), tapered, curved, 19.5–38 cm long, 4–9 mm diam. midway, 2–4 mm diam. near apex; flowers weakly 4-lobed to rhombic, 2.5–3.5 mm long, 1.7–3.3 mm wide, the sides straight to sigmoid; 12–16 flowers visible in principal spiral, 8–27 in alternate spiral; tepals matte and weakly punctate; lateral tepals 1.4–2.2 mm wide, the inner margins broadly rounded to somewhat concave, the outer margins 3–5-sided; pistils glossy, weakly exserted, green; stigma brush-like; stamens emerging irregularly; filaments fleshy, translucent, minutely papillate, exserted 0.5 mm; anthers creamy white to yellow, 0.5 mm long, 0.6–0.7 mm wide, inclined over the pistil; thecae ovoid-ellipsoid to pyriform, weakly divaricate; pollen yellow fading to white. Infructescence pendent to spreading-pendent, sometimes coiled; spathe withered; spadix 27–55 cm long, 1–2 cm diam., with berries scattered throughout; berries lavender, becoming white at maturity, obovoid-oblong, rounded at apex, 10–11 mm long, 5–6 mm diam.; pericarp thickened; mesocarp mealy, white; seeds 1–2 per berry, brown, oblong, (5.5)7.3–7.8 mm long, 2.8–3 mm diam., 1.3 mm thick.

Anthurium pendulifolium ranges from Colombia (Amazonas and Putumayo) to northern Peru as an epiphyte at 90 to 550 m in tropical moist and tropical wet forest. Most collections are from the upper Río Napo and Río Aguarico in northern Ecuador (Napo), and also from around Iquitos in Loreto, Peru. It has also been collected in northern Amazonas, in Peru along the Río Cenepa and the Río Santiago, as well as along the lower Río Pastaza in northwestern Loreto. It is to be expected throughout lowland Ecuador and northwestern Loreto in Peru. This species is distinguished by its oblong﷓oblanceolate leaf blades which are pendulous and dry pale green or yellowish green (the type specimen, of cultivated origin, has pale brown leaves, but this may be due to its age of nearly 100 years). Also distinctive are the moderately long petioles (up to 1/2 as long as the blades) and pale purple berries which become whitish in age. Anthurium pendulifolium may be confused with A. atropurpureum var. arenicola, with leaves drying the same green color and occurring in the same area. The latter differs from A. pendulifolium in its erect﷓spreading, rosulate habit, broadly oblanceolate leaf blades, shorter petioles and conspicuously sunken tertiary veins (when fresh). Anthurium pendulifolium was originially described from cultivated material thought to be from Colombia. While no Colombian material closely matches the type, much of the material collected in Ecuador matches it well. Common names for this species include "yakiya sugkip" (Huambisa tribe, Río Santiago, Amazonas, Peru); "kankur nuka" (Río Santiago); "meko uko" (Siona Indians, Putumayo, Colombia); "fam'be" (Río San Miguel, Putumayo, Colombia); and "bagre panga" (Río Lagartacocha, Napo, Ecuador). The mashed, cooked leaves are used in a water bath by the Siona Indians (Putumayo, Colombia) to relieve bone aches and rheumatism.