Rhaphidophora todayensis (Araceae)
Moderate to large, rather robust, semipachycaul homeophyllous liane unknown ultimate height; seedling stage and pre-adult plants not observed; adult shoot architecture not completely known but based on available material seemingly comprised of clinging, elongated, branched, non-flowering stems with scattered leaves and short, free, sympodial, apically densely leafy flowering stems; stems terete in cross-section, with prophyll, cataphyll and petiolar sheath fibre, internodes up to 4 cm diam., separated large, straight, leaf scars; flagellate foraging stems not observed; roots not observed; LEAVES spiro-distichous on free shoots; cataphylls and prophylls thickly soft-coriaceous, quickly drying and degrading into dense fibres, these soon falling (?); petiole deeply grooved, 31.5-45 x 0.5-1.5 cm, minutely pubescent and appearing greyish in nature, apical and basal geniculum moderately prominent, apical geniculum minutely pubescent; petiolar sheath moderately prominent, extending to the apical geniculum, swiftly drying and degrading into sparse, fibres; lamina entire, minutely pubescent abaxially, especially along the primary veins when young, 31.5-51 x 14.7-20 cm, thinly coriaceous to subchartaceous, base oblique, major side obtuse, minor side acute, slightly decurrent, apex acute to acuminate; midrib prominently raised and pubescent abaxially, ± sunken adaxially; primary venation pinnate, raised abaxially and slightly raised adaxially, pubescent in younger leaves, indumentum mostly shed in older leaves; interprimaries subparallel to primaries, much less prominent, slightly raised abaxially and adaxially; secondary venation reticulate, slightly raised abaxially, ± invisible adaxially; INFLORESCENCE 3 to 5 together, the whole subtended by a fully developed foliage leaf and each inflorescence subtended a large swiftly degrading fibrous cataphyll; peduncle terete, 11-15 x 0.5-1.2 cm; spathe canoe-shaped, stoutly long reflexed-beaked, 25 x 5 cm, fleshy, creamy white, falling at female receptivity to leave a large, straight scar; spadix cylindrical, obtuse, sometimes slightly curved, sessile, inserted ± level on peduncle, 9-10 x 1-1.2 cm, creamy white; stylar region weakly hexagonal, often almost round, c. 1.5 mm diam., truncate; stigma elongate, prominently raised, c. 0.5-0.75 x 0.30.4mm; anthers exserted at anthesis; INFRUCTESCENCE stoutly oblong-cylindrical, 4.5-14 x 1.5-2 cm, greenish yellow.
Distinctive in the Philippines by the pubescent abaxial surface to leaf lamina and by the clusters of inflorescences subtended by and interspersed with thick fibrous cataphyll remains. The leaf pubescence recalls R. foraminifera (Sumatera, Peninsular Malaysia and throughout Borneo), R. puberula (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatera, Nusa Tenggara and throughout Borneo) and R. hookeri (N. India to SW China). In the leaf venation and especially the marked obliqueness of the lamina base R. todayensis strongly resembles R. hookeri . Rhaphidophora todayensis differs from R. foraminifera by flowering on free lateral shoots and in not having perforated leaves. It may be separated from R. puberula by the clusters of inflorescences interspersed with fibrous cataphyll remains and in the very much smaller stylar region with a comparatively large stigma. From R. hookeri,R. todayensis may be distinguished in bearing erect clusters of inflorescences rather than a nodding solitary inflorescence.
Philippines (Mindanao). Endemic.
Humid riverine forest.