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Araceae
Rhaphidophora ternatensis Alderw.
SUMMARY
Medium to large, moderately robust, leptocaul to semipachycaul homeophyllous liane to 8 m; seedling stage & pre-adult plants not observed; adult shoot architecture comprised of greatly elongated, clinging, physiognomically monopodial, leafy, non-flowering stems and long, moderately elaborated, free, sympodial, densely leafy, flowering stems pendent under their own weight; stems smooth, longitudinally rugulose when dry, climbing free stems terete in cross-section, with slight prophyll, cataphyll and petiolar sheath fibre, internodes 1-2 cm x 0.5-1 cm on adherent shoots, usually longer and slightly less stout on free shoots, separated by weakly defined, more-or-less straight leaf scars, older stems woody; flagellate foraging stems not observed; roots not observed; LEAVES spiro-distichous on adherent and free shoots; cataphylls and prophylls membranous, drying and degrading into modest fibrous masses; petiole deeply grooved adaxially, 7.5-26 x 0.4-1.5 cm, drying longitudinally weakly costate, apical geniculum strongly defined and drying slightly darker than the reset of the petiole; petiolar sheath very prominent, extending to and merging with the apical geniculum, lower part strongly sheathing the emerging leaf or inflorescence; lamina entire, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, slightly falcate very slightly oblique, 19-42 x 6-13 cm, coriaceous, base ovate-cuneate to acute, apex falcate, acute to acuminate, with a prominent apiculate tubule; midrib raised abaxially, slightly channelled adaxially; primary venation pinnate, slightly raised abaxially and adaxially; interprimaries parallel to primaries, considerably less prominent, very slightly raised abaxially and adaxially; secondary and tertiary venation reticulate; INFLORESCENCE solitary, subtended by a fully developed foliage leaf and moderate amounts of fibre; peduncle slightly compressed-cylindric, 5-9 x 0.4-0.5 cm; spathe canoe-shaped, stoutly very short-beaked, orange, 10-12 x 1.5-3 cm; spadix cylindrical, truncate basally, stipitate; stipe 6-10 x c. 2 mm; spadix inserted ± obliquely on stipe, 5-7.5 x 1-1.5 cm; stylar region mostly rhombohexagonal, 1-1.2 x 0.9-1.2 mm, truncate, minutely roughened; stigma slightly elongate to rounded, raised, c. 0.25-0.3 mm diam.; anthers exserted at anthesis; INFRUCTESCENCE not observed.