Podolasia stipitata N.E.Br.

Rhizomatous herb, solitary or forming small clumps, sometimes gregarious; stem short, erect to decumbent, to c. 2.5 cm diameter, with distinct unarmed internodes to c. 2 cm long, rooting between the persistent leaf-bases, green, bearing prophylls but no cataphylls. Leaves several together on long petioles to c. 80 cm long, armed with mostly downward-pointing rather short spines to 7 mm long; lamina unarmed, somewhat coriaceous, sagittate to hastate, broadly to narrowly triangular in outline, to c. 45 cm long and wide; anterior lobe about equalling the posterior ones with pinnately arranged to curvinerved costae. Inflorescence solitary; peduncle similar to and about equalling the petioles. Spathe ovate-lanceolate, opening ± flat to the base, purple-brown; spadix ivory-white, usually stipitate, the stipe growing considerably after the spathe opened. Flowers hermaphrodite throughout, 4-6-tepalate and staminate; filaments free; ovary unilocular, uniovulate with parietal to basal placentation; receptive stigmas wet. Fruit red, smooth, rather large, c. 1.2 cm diameter, thicker than the spadix. Seed strongly campylotropous, ± spherical in outline; coat thin, hard, smooth, dark brown; endosperm wanting or very sparse.