Protarum sechellarum
Seasonally dormant herb. Tuber subglobose to somewhat elongate, erect, to 12 cm long, 6-8 cm diam., light brown outside and conspicuously ringed by closely spaces leaf scars, reddish inside, with solid roots apically, the roots to 4mm diam. LEAF solitary, with several cataphylls basally; cataphylls 12 cm long or less, to 4cm wide, later drying ;petiole 65-120 cm long, ca. 2cm diam., smooth, blackish purple or red-brown to grayish or dirty white, mottled with pinkish, blackish to grayish or olive green; sheath very short, leaf blade subpedate to radiatisect, to 80 cm diam., with (5-)7-11 leaflets, petiolules 3-5 cm long, leaflets elliptic to narrowly elliptic to narrowly elliptic, acuminate at apex, 25-40 cm long and 8-10 cm wide, dark green, sometimes pinkish-silver (on juvenile leaves); midrib prominent, lateral veins pinnate and numerous, forming submarginal collective vein, with marginal vein present; higher order venation reticulate; veins more or less reddish on lower surface, paler than the surface above. INFLORESCENCE solitary, appearing without or with the leaf (or leaves), with cataphylls basally; peduncle short (much shorter than petiole), 9-10cm long, ca. 1cm diam., coloured as petiole; spathe slightly constricted between tube and blade, 13-18 cm long; tube convolute, shorter than blade; blade erect and boat shaped, marcescent (at fruiting stage, the tube persistent and enclosing the infructescence, the upper blade becoming dry); outside more or less coloured as per petiole and peduncle, the inside slightly light grayish in upper part, becoming red to purple toward the base; spadix sessile, 8-12 cm long, much shorter than spathe, the female zone below and conoid, 2-3 cm long, ca. 1.5 cm diam., separated from male zone by a more slender sterile zone covered with narrowly elongated and centrally excavated synandrodes, or partially naked, 1-2 cm long, 0.8-0.9 cm diam.; synandrodes 2-3 mm long; male zone cylindrical to obconical, 1.5-2.5cm long, ca. 0.9 cm diam., with terminal appendix thicker, 2.5-4.5 cm long, 1.3-1.4 cm diam., more or less smooth, grayish to dirty white; flowers unisexual; 3-6 stamens per male flower, connate in a synandrium subprismatic, elliptic to subrhombic ca. 2 mm long, truncate, margin slightly lobed, more or less excavated centrally, with thecae laterally broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, dehiscing by broad apical slit; pollen inaperturate, ellipsoid, 20-22 um long, the exine striate female flower ca. 2 mm tall, gynoesium surrounded by whorl of 4-6 free, thickish staminodes, ca. 1 mm long and wide, oblong to subprismatic; ovary ovoid to ellipsoid, 1-locular, with 4 hemiorthotropous ovules, micropyle elongate, funicle short, placenta basal; stylar region attenuate or nearly absent; stigma 2-4 lobed, much broader than style. INFRUCTESCENCE enclosed by persistent and enlarged basal portions of the spathe, nodding on a benct or curved peduncle owing to its weight, berries densely arranged, ellipsoid to obovoid, 1.2-1.5 cm long, 0.8-1 cm thick bright orange, with persistent stigma remnant, usually only 1-seeded. Seed ellipsoid-oblong to ovoid, 0.7-1 cm long, 0.4-0.5 cm diam., the testa costate, dark to blackish brown; embryo small, flattened and disc-like; endosperm copious. Chromosome number 2n = 28
Protarum sechellarum is probably potected in the Valleé de Mai on Praslin becasue that are is a nature reserve, and in the Morne Seychellois National Park. The populations near the summit of the Morne Blanc (ca 660 m elevation) and Silhouette Island (ca. 750 m elevation) also seem safe. However, the population at Casse Dents (near the road) may be endangered. Relic forest with humus-rich soil in rather undisturbed areas have the best conditions for its survival. The species is not acutely threatened because the high and intermediate forests are not being further developed or disturbed.
Endemic to the Seychelles; Mahe, Silhouette and Praslin. Protarum sechellarum is fairy widespread but never common on Mahe, and even more rarely seen on Praslin or Silhouette.
Protarum Sechellarum is a geophyte and grows on the forest floor in mist forests ( palm forest on Praslin, with Lodoicea maldivica (Gmelin) Pers. ex H. Wendl., or in moss forest at summit of Silhouette), in humus-rich soil or mostly in leaf litter (ca. 5.4pH) in rock crevices, often on largegranitic rocks, at 200-900 m elevation. This species prefers shady habitats but can also be found in places with sunlight. It occurs as scattered groups of individuals and can be locally abundant in favorable areas. Near the summit of the Morne Blanc, Protarum schellarum grows with Pandanus sechellarum Baldour f. and Curculigo sechellensis Boj. ex Bak., also with the now widely naturalised cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum J. Presl). This aroid is often associated with palms in other localities, such as Roscheria melanochaetes Wendl. ex Balf. and Phoenicophorium borsigianum (K. Koch) Stuntz and has been reported growing with Northia seychellana Hook. f., Dillenia ferruginea (Baill.) Gilg, Aphloia theiformis (vahl) Bennet, Gastonia crassa (Hemsl.) F.Friedmann, Psychotria pervillei Bak. and others.