Rhaphidophora foraminifera (Engl.) Engl.

Moderate to large, robust, pachycaul, homeophyllous liane to 15 m; seedling stage not observed; pre-adult plants frequently (always?) forming extensive terrestrial colonies; LEAVES: adult shoot architecture comprised of elongated, clinging, physiognomically monopodial, densely leafy, non-flowering (always?) stems and shorter clinging, sympodial, densely leafy, flowering stems; stems smooth, mid-green, with cataphylls and prophylls deliquescing to black mucilage drying to leave fragmentary parchment-like remains on petioles, developing laminae, inflorescences, etc., internodes 1-7 x 0.5-3.5 cm, separated by prominent straight to slightly oblique leaf scars; flagellate foraging stem absent; clasping roots densely arising from the nodes and internodes, pubescent; feeding roots, adherent, exceedingly robust, densely pubescent with dense verticels of prominent corky ramenta; leaves distichous; cataphylls and prophylls membranous, soon deliquescing; petiole canaliculate, 22-52 x 0.4-1 cm, smooth for the most part but upper 2 - 4 cm and apical geniculum densely pubescent, apical geniculum prominent, basal geniculum less so; petiolar sheath prominent, extending to apical geniculum, + short-persistent, degrading to weak, slightly netted fibres; lamina entire to slightly or extensively perforated, perforations round to rhombic, extending c.c. 1/4 of lamina width on each side of the midrib, ovate to oblong-lanceolate or oblong-elliptic, slightly oblique, pubescent abaxially when young, 7-53 x 6-19 cm, membranous to sub-coriaceous, base rounded, acute to slightly decurrent, apex acute to acuminate; mid-rib prominently raised and densely pubescent abaxially, ± flush adaxially; primary venation pinnate, slightly raised abaxially and adaxially, the leaf appearing slightly quilted, pubescent in younger leaves, this indumentum mostly shed in older leaves; interprimaries sub-parallel to primaries, less prominent, slightly raised abaxially, slightly impressed adaxially; secondary venation reticulate, slightly raised; tertiary venation tessellate, slightly raised; INFLORESCENCE mostly subtended by one or two large cataphylls, these swiftly deliquescing into black mucilage, this drying and adhering patchily to developing spathe, rarely subtended by a ± fully developed foliage leaf; peduncle terete, 3-13 x 0.5-1.5 cm; spathe canoe-shaped, stoutly beaked, 10-27 x 1.5-13 cm, stiffly fleshy, dull pale to dark yellow, wide gaping at anthesis and then briefly persistent though maturation of the stamens, eventually falling to leave a large ± scar at the base of the spadix; spadix cylindrical, sessile, slightly obliquely inserted on peduncle, 7-17 x 1.3-2.5 cm, dull greenish yellow; stylar region moderately developed, rounded to rhombohexagonal, 1-2 x 1 -1.5 mm, shortly conical when fresh, drying truncate; stigma punctiform or elliptic and transversely orientated, raised at anthesis but excavated in dry material, c.c. 0.3 mm diam.; anthers slightly exserted at anthesis; INFRUCTESCENCE 8-15 x 2-3 cm, dark green before ripening to greenish yellow.