Aphelandra darienensis D. C. Wassh.

Aphelandra darienensis Wasshausen

Aphelandra darienensis Wasshausen, Phytologia 25:480. 1973.

Low suffrutescent shrub; stems glabrous below, the upper portion sparingly strigose; leaf blades oblong-elliptic, 30–40 cm long, 9–14 cm wide, shortacuminate, narrowed from middle or slightly above to a narrow, obliquely subobtuse base, moderately firm, entire, the upper surface glabrous or sparingly and inconspicuously strigose, the lower surface rather densely strigose, especially the costa and lateral veins (17–22 pairs), the venation prominent but more so beneath than above; petioles 3.5–7 cm long, canaliculate, glabrous or sparingly strigose; spikes one or several, terminal, subsessile, 8–10 cm long, 3–4 cm wide (without corollas), moderately dense, the bracts imbricate, spreading with age, the peduncle about 1 cm long, strigose, the rachis glabrous; bracts orange to red, ovate, 30 mm long and 14–15 mm wide, acute to obtuse, coriaceous, often crisped and retrorse, closely veined, glabrous, the margins entire, ciliolate, bearing just above the middle, near the margins, numerous minute ocelli, these forming a dull, alveolar spot, 3 mm long and 1 mm wide; bractlets lanceolate, 8 mm long and 2 mm wide, subhyaline, striate-nerved, carinate, especially the upper half, the keel pubescent; calyx segments lanceolate, 13–15 mm long, striate-nerved, subhyaline, glabrous, glandular-punctate, the posterior segment 5 mm wide, the anterior pair 3 mm wide, the lateral pair 2 mm wide, all mucronulate at apex; corolla orange-red, about 6 cm long, densely and minutely glandular-pilose, the tube 3.5 cm long, 3 mm wide at base, erect, gradually enlarged to 7 mm broad at mouth, the upper lip erect, oblong, 15 mm long, 2-lobed, the lobes triangular-ovate, 6 mm long, acute, the lower lip 3-lobed, the middle lobe oblong, 15 mm long, 8 mm wide, the lateral lobes similar but smaller; stamens almost reaching the tip of the upper lip; anthers 9 mm long, apiculate at base; capsule not seen.

TYPE.—Duke & Elias 13756 (holotype US, isotype MO), Panama, Darien, Cerro Pirre, 750–1350 m alt, 9–10 Aug 1967.

DISTRIBUTION.—Submontane to mossy forests, at elevations above 600 meters, in the province of Darien, Panama. PANAMA. DARIÉN: Ascent of Cerro Pirre from R. Pirro S of El Real, 600–750 m alt, 11 Aug 1962, Duke 5313 (MO); Oct 1962, Duke 6101 (MO); Cerro Campamento (S of Cerro Pirre), 20–22 Mar 1968, Duke 15720 (US); between Tres Bocas and Cerro Campamento on Cuasi-Cana Trail, 1 May 1968, Kirkbride & Duke 1350 (MO).

Aphelandra darienensis is closely related to A. fernandezii Leonard, but the calyx segments as well as the corolla lips of that relative are considerably longer.

Aphelandra darienensis là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Ô rô. Loài này được Wassh. mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1973.