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Araceae
Alloschemone occidentalis (Poepp.) Engl. & K.Krause
SUMMARY
Robust to very large evergreen root climber, at least 5 m high when flowering. Stem in adult plants adherent, unbranched (unless apical meristem damaged and then reiterating from a node close to the damaged apex), terete, (l-)1.5-2.5 cm diam., internodes ca. 1 cm long, epidermis smooth at first, mid-green to pale gray or brown, becoming conspicuously longitudinally corky-winged with age. Juvenile and pre-adult plants with long, robust flagelliform shoots and sometimes forming sparse terrestrial colonies. Roots densely produced from entire climbing stem length, adhering firmly to tree trunk, cylindrical, 2-6 cm X 2-3 mm diam., more-or-less grayish, appearing tomentose, because densely covered with 1-2 mm long root hairs. Juvenile leaves spreading, slightly scattered (one to three cataphyl-lary nodes between each foliage leaf), lamina lanceolate, ovate or ovate-elliptic, up to 17 X 7 cm, apex acute, base cuneate to slightly cordate to almost truncate, margins entire to shallowly divided in pre-adult leaves, petiole up to 9 X 0.3 cm, geniculum ca. 1 cm long; adult leaves laxly recurved, scattered (up to six cataphyllary nodes between each foliage leaf); leaf lamina thinly coriaceous, ovate-subcor-date in outline, pinnatifid, 45-95 X 48-66 cm, shining mid-green, paler beneath, pinnae subalternate, oblong-elliptic, 18-32 X 5-10 cm, falcate, apex acute, lacinae extending 1—4 cm from midrib, separated by a narrow to broad, rounded sinus, and often with curtailed pinna development at the base, primary lateral veins 1 per pinna, secondary lateral veins parallel-pinnate, 15-17 on each side of pinna, higher order venation reticulate; petiole geniculate api-cally, thickened at base, (26-)30-70 X (0.7-)1-1.5 cm, petiolar sheath short, 2-10 cm long, margins on older specimens incurved, smooth; geniculum 2-2.5 cm long. Inflorescence solitary, erect; peduncle erect, terete, 9-15 X ca. 2 cm diam., reddish; spatbe deciduous, coriaceous, ovate-cymbiform, 17-20 X 7-9 cm, convolute to half way up, shallowly concave and gaping above on opening, apex obtuse, exterior creamy white, glossy, interior flushed pink, strongly sweet-fragrant; spadix sessile to short-stipitate, cylindric, 10— 12 X 2.5-3.5 cm, apex obtuse, stylar tissue pale yellow to dull pink or orange, also very sweet-fragrant; stipe terete, (0-)-1.2 X ca. 3 cm. Flowers: bisexual, naked; stamens 4, filaments flattened, free (4—)5-8 X 1-2 mm, thecae oblong, ca. 2mm long, dehiscing apically by an oblique, short slit. Pollen not fully zonate, ellipsoid, 44—46 X 27-28 μm, exine shallowly foveolate. Gynoecium prismatic, 8-9 X (2.5-)3.5-4 mm at top, below 2.5-3 mm wide (gynoecia at base of spadix larger, 8-9 X 4-6 mm, apparently sterile and nectariferous), stylar region densely packed with trichoscler-eids, stigma prominent, elliptic in plan view 1.3-1.5 mm X ca. 1 mm, stigmas orientated longitudinally along the spadix axis; ovary 1-locular, with abundant locu-lar mucilage; ovule 1, amphitropous, 1-1.2 mm tall, ca. 1.4 mm wide, funicle bearing trichomes, placenta basal. Fruit unknown. Seed unknown. Chromosome number 2n = 84.