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Araceae
Rhaphidophora balgooyi P.C.Boyce
SUMMARY
Large, robust, semipachycaul homeophyllous liane to 8 m; seedling stage & pre-adult plants not observed; LEAVES: adult shoot architecture comprised of elongated, clinging, physiognomically monopodial, leafy, non-flowering stems and long, stout, free, sympodial, densely leafy, flowering stems; stems smooth, internodes 1-2 cm x 0.5-1.2 cm on free shoots, separated by well defined, oblique leaf scars; flagellate foraging stems not observed; roots not observed; leaves spiro-distichous on free shoots; cataphylls and prophylls membranous, drying and falling; petiole deeply grooved adaxially, 12.5-30 x 0.4-1.2 cm, apical geniculum strongly defined and drying slightly darker than the rest of the petiole; petiolar sheath very prominent, extending to just below the apical geniculum, upper part ending abruptly, lower part sheathing the emerging leaf or inflorescence; lamina entire, oblong, very slightly oblique, 20-38 x 8.5-11 cm, thinly coriaceous, base cuneate to acute, apex weakly falcate, acute to briefly acuminate, with a apiculate tubule; midrib prominently raised abaxially, very slightly channelled adaxially; primary venation pinnate, almost imperceptibly raised abaxially and adaxially; interprimaries parallel to primaries, barely visible; secondary and tertiary venation very obscure; INFLORESCENCE solitary, subtended by a fully developed foliage leaf and one or more cataphylls; peduncle slightly compressed-cylindric, 1-12 x c. 0.5 cm; spathe elongate-canoe-shaped, stoutly long-beaked, 12-19 x 1.5-3 cm; spadix cylindrical, tapering basally, apex acute, stipitate; stipe 6-10 x c. 2 mm; spadix inserted ± obliquely on stipe, 11-15 x 1.5-1.75 cm; stylar region mostly rhombohexagonal, 1-1.6 x 1.2-1.7 mm, truncate; stigma rounded, flat, c. 0.35-0.4 mm diam.; anthers exserted at anthesis; INFRUCTESCENCE not observed.