Rhaphidophora oligosperma (Araceae)
Large, moderately robust, homeophyllous (?) liane to 15 m; seedling stage and pre-adult plants unknown; LEAVES: adult shoot architecture comprised of elongated, clinging, physiognomically monopodial, leafy, non-flowering stems and long, moderately elaborated, free, sympodial, densely leafy, pendent flowering; stems drying prominently longitudinally ridges, terete in cross-section, internodes to 1.2 - 7 x 0.5-1.5 cm, separated by large oblique, very prominent leaf scars; flagellate foraging stems, clasping roots, & feeding roots unknown; leaves distichous on free shoots; cataphylls and prophylls membranous, conspicuous, quickly drying and falling; petiole broadly canaliculate, 7.5-18 x 0.3-0.4 cm, smooth, apical and particularly basal genicula well defined, drying darker then petiole; petiolar sheath very prominent, extending to and encircling the apical geniculum, briefly ligulate, very swiftly drying and falling to leave a continuous conspicuous scar from the petiole base, around the top of the apical geniculum and back to the base; lamina entire, lanceolate to oblong lanceolate, ± falcate, 14-33 x 4-8 cm, thinly coriaceous, base acute, apex acute to long-acuminate with a slight tubule; midrib raised abaxially, slightly sunken adaxially; primary venation pinnate, raised abaxially and adaxially; interprimaries parallel to primaries and only slightly less prominent; secondary and tertiary venation reticulate, rather prominent in dried specimens; INFLORESCENCE solitary, subtended by a fully developed foliage leaf and one (more?) conspicuous cataphylls; peduncle compressed-cylindric, 8 x 9 cm; spathe narrowly cigar-shaped, long stout-acuminate, 6-7 x c. 1 cm, exterior light green; spadix very slightly tapering-cylindrical, stipitate, 3-4(-7) x 0.6-0.75 cm; stipe 3-3.5 mm long; stylar region weakly rhombohexagonal, c. 0.8-0.9 mm diam., truncate; stigma punctiform, ± flat, c. 0.25 mm diam.; anthers well exserted at anthesis; INFRUCTESCENCE tapering-cylindrical, 4.5-9.5 x 0.75-1 cm, ovaries few-seeded.
Leaf lamina on flowering shoots lanceolate to oblong lanceolate, ± falcate, thinly coriaceous, base acute, apex acute to long-acuminate with a slight tubule. Maluku (Ternate, Tidore, Ceram- endemic) Similar in appearance to R. koordersii (Sulawesi) differing in the thinner, broader and shorter leaf lamina. In Maluku the stiptate spadix and rather small habit make it distinctive Confusion with R. oligosperma (Sulawesi) is possible but the latter is immediately distinguished by the much narrower, strongly falcate leaves, the sessile spadix and conical style.
Maluku (Ternate, Tidore, Ceram). Endemic.
In old secondary forest.