Fosterella latifolia Ibisch, R.V squez & E.Gross

Taxonomic Change:

• Treated as a synonym of Fosterella penduliflora (C.H. Wright) L.B. Sm. —See Peters et al. 2009 p. 182

Literature references:

Baensch & Baensch 1994: 159 BSA (Web) FCBS (Web)

Comments:

• Although this species, especially at humid and humus-rich sites, can have a rather robust appearance (plants having very long inflorescences with thick scapes and very wide leaves), fertile plants of less favourable sites can be quite small (flowering not more than 30-40 cm high, leaves about 3 cm wide). Even flower size can vary a lot. This new taxon differs from all other known species of Fosterella with straight, not recurved petals and abaxially lepidote leaves by its broadly lanceolate, fleshy and much wider leaves, which are mostly reddish beneath.
  
  Detail from Selbyana 23(2): 204-219. 2002
  Comparing living plants of several species, we have observed that Fosterella latifolia, as a sterile plant, is quite similar to F. villosula. The latter can develop wide leaves (>5 cm), nearly as wide as F. latifolia. Both have entire leaves somewhat constricted at the base and can be reddish beneath (in F. villosula purely green leaves may be more common). They are distinct, however; the differentiation is important, especially in Santa Cruz, where both occur. The petals of F. latifolia are larger, 8 mm X 2-3 mm, oblong- obovate, and not 7 mm X 1-2 mm, lanceolate, as in F. villosula. The sepals of F. latifolia are dark-green to somewhat reddish and glabrous, and not clear-green and lepidote. The floral bract is papyraceous and glabrous and not green and lepidote. The leaves are not so visibly channeled as in F. villosula, and the axis of the inflorescence is glaucous-glabrous (epicuticular waxes) and not lepidote. Fosterella villosula seems to prefer humid forests, and F. latifolia semihumid forests.
  Although Fosterella latifolia morphologically differs from F. penduliflora, preliminary molecular data suggest they are close relatives (Rex 2001, Rex et al. 2001; FIGURE 1). A closer look at the F. penduliflora group, which may either represent only one very variable species or several closely related species, is needed. —See Ibisch 1998
• Comparing living plants of several species, we have observed that Fosterella latifolia , as a sterile plant, is quite similar to F. villosula . The latter can develop wide leaves (> 5 cm), nearly as wide as F. latifolia . Both have entire leaves somewhat constricted at the base and can be reddish beneath (in F. villosula purely green leaves are possibly more common). They are distinct, however; the differentiation is important, especially in Santa Cruz, where both occur. The petals of F. latifolia are larger, 8 mm x 2-3 mm, oblong-obovate, and not 7 mm x 1-2 mm, lanceolate, as in F. villosula . The sepals of F. latifolia are dark-green to somewhat reddish and glabrous, and not clear-green and lepidote. The floral bract is papyraceous and glabrous and not green and lepidote. The leaves are not so visibly channeled as in F. villosula , and the axis of the inflorescence is glaucous-glabrous (epicuticular waxes) and not lepidote. Fosterella villosula seems to prefer humid forests, and F. latifolia semihumid forests. Although Fosterlla latifolia morphologically differs from F. penduliflora, preliminary molecular data suggest they are close relatives (Rex 2001, Rex et al. 2001; F IGURE 1). A closer look at the F. penduliflora -group, which may either represent only one very variable species or several closely related species, is needed. —See Ibisch et al. 2002 p. 6