Pseudohydrosme buettneri (Araceae)
LEAF unknown. INFLORESCENCE: Peduncle 1 1/4 in. long, not very thick, concealed by the surrounding cataphyllary leaves, the innermost of which are about 4-5 in. long, 1 in. broad, strap-shaped or oblong-lanceolate, acute. Spathe about 2 1/2 ft. long, convolute for about 3 in. at the base. Spadix 3 in. long, about 7 lin. thick, cylindric, obtuse, densely covered with flowers and staminodes or neuter organs; female part about 1/2 in. long; male part 3/4 in. long; staminodal or neuter part 13/4 in. long. Ovary subglobose; style short; stigma subglobose, slightly 2-lobed. Anthers connate in pairs, sessile, subquadrate; connective dilated at the apex beyond the cells, truncate, angular, faintly 2-lobed, smooth? Staminodes cuneate-oblong, sub-clavate, convexly subtruncate.
Spathe convolute, obliquely truncate at the top; ovary 2 celled; stamens free. Engler places this plant under his genus Pseudohydrosme, but according to his description and figure, for I have not seen the plant, the differences between this and Pseudhydrosme gabunensis, Engl., are such, that they ought not, in my opinion, to be placed in the same genus, I have, therefore, generically separated them. Engler states that the spathe of the specimen of L. Buttneri, according to the collector's notes, has about 2 ft. of the upper part wanting; it is, therefore, only very shortly convolute at the base, and not nearly to the obliquely truncate top as in Pseudhydrosme; the anthers of Zyganthera are connate in pairs, the upper half of the spadix is covered with barren organs, and the ovules are short and broad, whilst in Pseudhydrosme the anthers are free, different in character, the spadix has no barren organs, and the ovules are long and narrow.
Lower Guinea. Gaboon: Munda district; Sibange Farm, Büttner