First published in: Brittonia 62(1): 80-85, figs. 1-2. (2010).

Etymology: From the Greek pyro- (‘heat’ or ‘fire’) and phyllon (‘leaf’), referring to the glowing orange and red emergent leaves. [source]

Distribution: Colombia (Chocó)

IUCN Red List Conservation Status: Critically Endangered B1ab(iii,v)

Description: Stem hypogeous, rarely branching, globose to cylindrical, to 10 cm or more in diameter. Cataphylls chartaceous, triangular to narrowly triangular, to 8.5×3.0 cm, tan-tomentose with brown papyraceous wings. Ptyxis inflexed. Leaves 1–2, 1.1–3.4 m long; petioles 0.75–2.4 m long with abruptly swollen base to 4 cm wide, densely covered with stout, sometimes branching prickles to 5 mm long; rachis 0.3–1 m long, curved outward, with prickles in lower half, petiole and rachis brown tomentose when emerging, gradually becoming glabrous. Leaflets 8–16 pairs, chartaceous to coriaceous, median ones 2–5.8 cm apart, insertion on rachis 6–10 mm wide, lanceolate to oblanceolate and straight to slightly falcate, alternate to subopposite, apex acute to acuminate, margins entire, basal leaflets 28–51×2.2–7.2 cm; median leaflets 24.5–55×4–7.1 cm; apical leaflets19–34.5×2.1–6.6 cm wide, maroon at emergence, turning to orange or reddish tones, and gradually turning green from the leaflet apex to the base as they mature. Eophylls with unarmed petioles 19–25 cm long, rachis to 1 cm long, typically carrying four leaflets 6.1–6.5×1.7–2.2 cm. Pollen strobili conical-cylindrical, erect or slightly spreading, 5–15 +, at pollen shedding 7.1–8.1×1.5–1.7 cm, strobilar axis and proximal section of microsporophyll villous with mixed white and rust-brown hairs, peduncles tomentose, emerging white to cream and maturing maroon to brown, 14–25× 0.8–1 cm, microsporophylls spirally arranged in 8–10 orthostichies of 13–20 sporophylls each, obtrullate, 5.9–6.3×3.5–4.3 mm at pollen shedding, sterile apex encompassing 1/4 to 1/2 of total length of a microsporophyll, tomentose, tan to cream colored in proximal half, speckled maroon to brown in distal half, face hexagonal to oblong hexagonal, 2.7–3×3.5–4 mm, extruded downward to a narrow horizontal facet, abaxial side of microsporophyll with 15–20 microsporangia limited to the proximal half and along the margins, adaxial side with12–15 microsporangia limited to the distal half. Ovulate strobili cylindrical, typically solitary but up to 3 per crown, erect at maturity, 8–15.5×4–4.5 cm, sterile apex 0.5–4 cm and acute to acuminate, strobilus axis villous with mixed rust-brown and white hairs, peduncles 15–50×1.2–2.7 cm, emerging white to cream tomentose, progressing maroon to brown tomentose, at maturity appearing green due to loss of tomentum, megasporophylls in 7–10 orthostichies of 5–11 sporophylls each, stalk 8–10 mm long, villous with mixed rust-brown and white hairs, sterile apex 19–20 mm deep with hexagonal to oblong-hexagonal distal face12.5–13.2 x 15.5–16.2 mm, extruded to a small, depressed terminal facet 2.5–3.4×5.7–6.3 mm, megasporophyll face tomentose, burnt amber in new strobili, rust colored when near receptivity, at maturity black with some exposed areas glabrous green. Seeds ovoid,10–15.6 mm×9.5–13.2 mm, sarcotesta red and fleshy, eventually becoming evenly papyraceous at maturity. [source]

Image Gallery (6 observations with images)

Colombia (Chocó)

Colombia (Chocó)

Colombia (Chocó)

Colombia (Chocó)

Colombia (Chocó)

Colombia (Chocó)

Reference Links (2)