Araceae
Anubias afzelii Schott
Media
SUMMARY
Rhizome prostrate, creeping and rooting, 1 -4 cm thick. LEAVES: At the top densely leaved. Petiole up to 20 cm long, sheathing till over the middle, at the end provided with an 1-1.5 cm long geniculum, half to almost as long as the leaf-blade, glabrous. In cultivated specimens the petiole sometimes as long as or even slightly longer than the leaf-blade (up to 29 cm long, sheath 8 cm long).Leaf-blade elongate-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, 13-35 cm long, 3-13 cm broad, 2.5-8 x as long as broad, broadest about the middle, more or less narrowed at the base, both sides + equal, coriaceous. Base subtruncate to cuneate. Top mucronulate or with an acute or acuminate tip. Many prominent lateral nerves with 5-8 less prominent lateral nerves between them, near the edge anastomosing in 2-3 marginal nerves and with very numerous transverse, slender veinlets between them. Glabrous or sometimes below very sparsely puberulous. INFLORESCENCE: Peduncle (9 -) 13 -32 cm long, half to one and a half times as long as the petiole. Spathe 3-7(-9) cm long, oblong or lanceolate, apiculate, convolute, narrowly tubular, green. Not spreading at maturity, but at the top opened. Before anthesis opening halfway down, but not reflexed (insects may have access to the ? flowers) and closing tightly and entirely again after a few hours. Spadix 5-8(-12) cm long, very shortly stiped or sessile, 1.2-1.5 x as long as the spathe, upper part exserted, male and female part densely flowered, male part of the inflorescence almost twice as long as the female part. Sometimes lower male flowers more or less abortive (abortive part up to 1/2 cm long). Thecae on the side of the synandrium. Stamens 5-6. Ovaries depressed-globose, green, not spotted. Style very short or the discoid pink stigma sessile. Seeds about 2 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad (1.3-1.7 x as long as broad), dark brown, without spots. (No living seeds were observed.) INFRUCTESCENCE: berries not observed. (Only one fruiting specimen with almost completely eaten berries seen: Thomas 2829.)