Rhaphidophora balgooyi (Araceae)
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.
Spadix at anthesis 11--15 cm long; stigma round, flat. Maluku (Ternate, Buru - endemic) Described by Alderwerelt as a robust form of R. ternatensis, R. balgooyi differs in lacking cataphyll, prophyll and petiolar sheath fibres, in the significantly less prominent primary lateral leaf venation, the considerably larger spadix and flat stigmas. Confusion with R. sarasinorum is possible. The latter may be distinguished by the smaller (8-10 cm at anthesis) spadix and smaller, punctiform raised stigma.
Maluku - Buru, Ternate. Endemic.
Riverine forest.