Pedicellarum M.Hotta
SUMMARY
HABIT : climbing, shrubby herbs, branches distichously leaved, branching from below the nodes, juvenile shoots are of shingle form, flowering shoots producing flagelliform branches. LEAVES : several. PETIOLE : sometimes pubescent in young leaves, geniculate at apex, sheathed for the most part. BLADE : lanceolate to narrowly elliptic (nearly orbicular in shingle form), acuminate; primary lateral veins pinnate, forming submarginal collective vein, 1-2 distinct marginal veins also present, higher order venation reticulate. INFLORESCENCE : arising below the nodes, bearing several short cataphylls at base of peduncle. PEDUNCLE : shorter than spadix, subequal to or longer than petiole, very slender. SPATHE : small, fully expanded, ovate-cordate, membranaceous. SPADIX : sparsely and very laxly flowered, axis flexuose, minutely hispid-papillose. FLOWERS : bisexual, perigoniate, on short pedicels, receptacle large and conspicuous; tepals connate, forming cup-like structure. STAMENS : 6, filaments broad, flattened, connective slender, thecae ellipsoid, latrorse, dehiscing by longitudinal slit. POLLEN : monosulcate, ellipsoid-oblong, small (mean 17 µm.), exine reticulate, muri minutely tuberculate. GYNOECIUM : obpyramidal, excavated at apex, ovary 3-locular, ovules 1 per locule, anatropous, placenta axile at base of septum, stigma sessile, umbonate. BERRY : obovoid, 1-3-seeded, red. SEED : compressed-ellipsoid, testa smooth, thin, embryo large, endosperm absent.