Rhaphidophora africana N.E.Br.

Plant crawling at first, then climbing up to 10-12 m tall, then epiphytic; roots aerial, these are nodal, vertical and keep contact with the ground, the others are internodal or clamping, horizontal, 3-7cm long; stem thick, 0.5-1.5cm diameter when dry. LEAVES with petioles 15-27 (-35) cm, flattened on one face, enlarged at the base, bulging and often striate transversely at the apex; leaf blade 20-40 (-50) x 8-11 (-15) cm, thick, assymetric, oblong to lanceolate, base acute, decurrent on the petiole, apex acuminate, acumen ± 0.5-2.5 cm; numerous primary parallel veins connected by a network of not very visible secondary veins. INFLORESCENCE axillary, in groups of 3-5; peduncle cylindrical, creased transversely here and there, 7-15 cm long; spathe 7-13 cm, convolute closed, in a banana shape, terminating by a pointed beak of 1-1.5 cm tall, initially green then yellow after anthesis, finally brown blackish and caducous after fruiting; spadix 7-12 cm tall, cylindrical, with raphides, completely covered in white bisexual flowers, naked; 1-2 stamens placed in each furrow of the obpyramidal ovary, bilocular; many anatropous ovules per locule; stigma sessile, depressed in a nipple. INFRUCTESCENCE: Fruiting spadix aromatic, dimensions not modified; berries putrefying, freeing the acute white seeds, 4-5 mm high.