A reassessment of Anthurium species with palmately divided leaves, and a reinterpretation of Anthurium section Dactylophyllium (Araceae)

PhytoKeys. 2013 Jun 10:(23):41-54. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.23.4754. Print 2013.

Abstract

A reappraisal is made of the Anthurium Schott species with palmately divided leaves with 3 or more segments free to the base (i.e. palmatisect leaves), previously recognized as section Dactylophyllium Schott (Engler), as well as those species with 5 or more segments united at the base (i.e. palmatifid leaves), formerly placed in section Schizoplacium Schott (Engler). New molecular data indicates that several species (Anthurium pedatum (Kunth) Schott, Anthurium pedatoradiatum Schott, and possibly, Anthurium podophyllum (Schltdl. & Cham.) Kunth) should be excluded from section Schizoplacium, and other species previously placed in that section cannot be separated from section Dactylophyllium. Thus, Anthurium section Schizoplacium is here synonymized within section Dactylophyllium and type species are designated for both groups. This paper also provides an updated description of section Dactylophyllium as here emended, listing the 24 accepted taxa now included (20 species and 4 varieties or subspecies), along with their geographic distributions.

Keywords: Anthurium; molecular phylogeny; palmately divided leaves; palmatifid leaves; palmatisect leaves; section Schizoplacium; sectional classification.