Sauromatum gaoligongense (Araceae)
Tuber depressed globose, ca. 2cm high, 2.5–3.5cm in diam., producing several annual offsets. Petiole uniformly green or dark purple, to 40cm, proximally often developing intercalary, irregular bulbils; leaf blade deeply 5–13-pedatifid; central lobe elliptic to obovate, to 12 × 5cm; lateral lobes progressively smaller. Inflorescence appearing before leaves; peduncle largely subterranean, yellowish green with a few scattered purple spots, 4–5cm × 3–6mm. Spathe closed at base, outside purplish brown, inside whitish, base triangular-ovate, to 3 × 2.8cm, tapering to constricted apex; limb strongly convolute at base, slightly arching, outside brownish purple with a few darker spots, inside pale purple, narrowly oblong, ca. 7 × 2.5cm, apex long acuminate. Spadix shorter than spathe, ca. 6cm; female zone cylindric, ca. 4 × 5–6mm; ovary obovoid, 1-loculed, 2-ovuled; sterile zone narrowly conic, ca. 3cm, carrying staminodes in proximal half, these distally progressively shorter and finally disappearing, distally grooved, verruculose; staminodes clavate, distally changing to aristate and upcurved; male zone oblong, ca. 1cm × 3mm; male flowers purple, with 1 stamen, pores apical; appendix stipitate, clavate, ca. 1.6cm, apex narrowly fusiform-conic, rugose.
This material was reprinted with permission from the Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, and Science Press, Beijing.
This material was reprinted with permission from the Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, and Science Press, Beijing.
Broad-leaved evergreen forests, shaded ravines.