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Araceae
Rhaphidophora jubata P.C.Boyce
SUMMARY
Very robust, pachycaul, homeophyllous liane to10 m; seedling stage not observed; pre-adult plants forming extensive terrestrial populations; LEAVES: adult shoot architecture comprised of elongated, clinging, physiognomically unbranched, densely leafy, flowering; stems smooth, with cataphylls and prophylls degrading into weak slightly fibrous patches and then falling, internodes to 4-13 x 1-3.5 cm; flagellate foraging stem not observed; clasping roots not observed; feeding roots arising singly from nodes, robust; leaves spiro-distichous; cataphylls and prophylls subcoriaceous, degrading to weakly fibrous patches, then falling; petiole deeply canaliculate, (6-)40-85 x 0.35-0.5 cm, smooth, apical and basal genicula very large though not especially prominent; petiolar sheath very prominent, extending from between 2/3 petiole length up to the apical geniculum, short-persistent, falling leaving thin scar; lamina entire, ovate to oblong-ovate, slightly oblique, 21.5-90 x 10.5-35 cm, thinly coriaceous to submembranous, drying pale yellow-brown to brown, base oblique, broadly rounded to shallowly and minutely cordate, more rarely subacute, apex rounded-acuminate with a small apical tubule; midrib very prominently raised and abaxially, ± impressed adaxially; primary venation pinnate, raised abaxially and adaxially; interprimaries parallel to primaries, much less prominent; secondary venation reticulate, hardly visible; INFLORESCENCE several together, each subtended by a prophyll and one or more chartaceous cataphylls, these soon degrading; peduncle terete, 11-25 x 0.3-2 cm; spathe slender canoe-shaped, stoutly attenuate-beaked, 16--24 x 2.5--3 cm, stiffly thin-fleshy, caducous, yellow; spadix slender cylindrical, sessile but long decurrent (to 2 cm) on peduncle/spathe insertion, 13-21 x 1-3 cm; stylar region, weakly rhombohexagonal to trapezoid, 1-1.2 x 1-1.3 mm, truncate; stigma punctiform, prominently raised, c. 0.25 mm diam., drying glossy black; anthers not exserted at male anthesis; INFRUCTESCENCE slender cylindrical, 14.5-17.5 x 2.5 cm; seed reniform, laterally compressed, conspicuously crested along dorsal side (i.e., the side opposed to the insertion of the funicle), c. 1.2 x 2.5 mm at maturity, c. 8-12 per fruit arranged on two parietal placentae.