Araceae
Arum cylindraceum Gasp.
SUMMARY
Tuberous herb sprouting in early winter from a discoid, vertically orientated tuber 3-5 cm across, 1.5-2 cm thick. Petiole terete, 12-18(-23) cm long, 3-4 mm wide, dark green to mid-green, the lower ¼ occasionally stained with purple. Leaf-blade sagittate to sagittate-hastate, apex acute to obtuse, 9-13 cm long, 3-7.5 cm wide, mid-green. INFLORESCENCE unscented. Peduncle equal to, or exceeding the leaves, terete, 11-18 cm long, 4-5 mm wide, light to mid-green, the lower ? occasionally stained with purple. Spathe 9-14 cm long; spathe-tube oblong-cylindric, 2-3 cm long, 1.5-1.75 cm wide, moderately constricted apically, exterior pale green, interior with the basal ? very pale greenish white, upper ? purple; spathe-limb elliptic-lanceolate, 7-9 cm long, 3.5-4.5 cm wide, erect, acuminate, externally and internally pale green. Spadix ? - ? long as the spathe-limb, 5-8 cm in total length; appendix slender-cylindric, slightly to moderately clavate, long-stipitate, 3-5 cm long, 2.5-4 mm wide, pale chocolate-brown to dull purple, stipe fading to cream basally. Staminodes in 2 or 3 whorls forming a zone 2-4 mm long; bristles filiform, semi-rigid, 5-6 mm long, cream; bases bulbiform, verrucate, dull yellow. Interstices: upper 3-5 mm long, smooth, primrose-yellow; lower 2-3 mm long, lower portion with rudimentary pistillodes bases, off-white. Staminate flowers in a cylindric zone 5-6 mm long, 3-4 mm wide; anthers purple and a connectives yellow. Pistillodes in 3-5 whorls forming a zone 3-5 mm long; bristles aristate-filiform, semi-rigid, 3-4 mm long, cream; bases elongate-bulbiform, slightly verrucate, pale yellow. Pistillate flowers in an oblong-cylindric cluster, 15-20 mm long; ovaries oblong, tapering apically, 2-3 mm long, pale greenish yellow, darker towards the stigma; stigma dirty white. Fruiting spike oblong-cylindric, 4-5 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide; berries pyriform, 5-9 mm long, 3-5 mm wide. Germination hypogeal.