Rhaphidophora philippinensis Engl. & K.Krause

Robust, semipachycaul homeophyllous liane to unknown ultimate height; seedling stage & pre-adult plants not observed; LEAVES: adult shoot architecture comprised of elongated, clinging, physiognomically monopodial, leafy, non-flowering stems and stout, elaborated free, sympodial, densely leafy, flowering stems; stems smooth, slightly terete in cross-section, with very slight cataphyll remains at the apices of active shoots but mostly naked, internodes to 2-4.5 x 1cm on free shoots, separated by large very slightly oblique leaf scars; flagellate foraging stems not observed; roots not observed; leaves spiro-distichous, laminas descending; cataphylls and prophylls large and conspicuous, membranous, very quickly drying and mostly falling although patchy remains sometimes present at active shoot apices; petiole channelled adaxially, 10-22.5 x 0.3-0.5 cm, smooth, apical and basal genicula poorly defined; petiolar sheath prominent, extending to the apical geniculum, swiftly drying and soon falling ± whole to leave a conspicuous scar extending around the apical geniculum; lamina entire, ovate, slightly to rather markedly oblique, 13-33 x 5.5-18 cm, very coriaceous, dull olive green above, yellow green below, base broadly rounded to subtruncate to sub-cordate, apex strongly recurved, acuminate to with a short, stout apiculate tubule; midrib wide, prominently raised abaxially, especially proximally, sunken adaxially; primary venation densely pinnate abaxially and scattered-pinnate abaxially, raised on both surfaces; interprimaries parallel to primaries and less prominent abaxially, as prominent as primary laterals adaxially, giving the leaf a densely pinnate appearance abaxially; secondary venation visible as a very faint weak reticulum in dried specimens; INFLORESCENCE solitary; peduncle stout, slightly compressed-cylindric, 14 x 1.5 cm; spathe not observed; spadix stoutly cylindrical, sessile, inserted very strongly-obliquely on peduncle, 15 x 2 cm; stylar region weakly angled, often appearing almost circular, 0.4-0.5 x 0.4-0.5 mm, slightly conical, truncate; stigma circular, prominently raised, almost obscuring the top of the style, c. 0.4 mm diam.; anthers not exserted at anthesis; INFRUCTESCENCE not observed.