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Araceae
Rhaphidophora intonsa P.C.Boyce
SUMMARY
Medium to large, robust, pachycaul (?), homeophyllous (?) liane to 12 m; seedling stage and pre-adult plants not observed; LEAVES: adult shoot architecture not fully observed but apparently comprised of elongated, clinging, physiognomically unbranched, non-flowering stems and free lateral, leafy flowering stems; stems with cataphylls and prophylls degrading to dense ragged fibres and sheets of tissue and forming dense matting at the stem tips, internodes 1-3 x 0.5-1.4 cm, separated by prominent slightly oblique corky leaf scars; flagellate foraging stem, clasping roots and feeding roots not observed; leaves spiro-distichous; cataphylls and prophylls quickly degrading to dense ragged fibres and sheets of tissue; petiole shallowly canaliculate, 12-43 x 0.4-0.9 cm, apical geniculum prominent, basal geniculum weakly defined and obscured by fibre; petiolar sheath very prominent, extending to apical geniculum, swiftly degrading to copious netted fibres, later falling leaving a smooth, corky scar; lamina entire, ovate to oblong-elliptic, slightly oblique, 17-47 x 9-20 cm, subcoriaceous, base subacute to slightly decurrent, apex acute to briefly acuminate; midrib prominently raised abaxially, very slightly raised adaxially; primary venation pinnate, slightly raised abaxially and adaxially; interprimaries parallel to primaries, slightly less prominent, raised abaxially, slightly impressed adaxially; secondary venation reticulate, slightly raised abaxially and adaxially in dry specimens; INFLORESCENCE solitary, mostly subtended by a ± fully developed foliage leaf and copious netted fibre and sheet-like tissue; peduncle laterally compressed to terete, 9-13 x 0.9-2 cm; spathe canoe-shaped, 17-20 x 1.5-2.5 cm, stoutly long-beaked, stiffly fleshy, caducous leaving a large scar at the base of the spadix; spadix cylindrical, slightly curved, sessile, inserted more or less level on peduncle, 10.5-18.5 x 1.7-2.3 cm, cream; stylar region rhombohexagonal, 1-2 x 1-1.5 mm, truncate; stigma punctiform, raised at male anthesis flattened in dry material, c. 0.3 mm diam.; anthers not exserted at male anthesis; INFRUCTESCENCE curved-cylindrical, c. 17 x 2 cm.