Synandrospadix Engl.

HABIT : seasonally dormant herbs, tuber subglobose. LEAVES : several. PETIOLE : fairly long, with darker longitudinal striations, sheath long. BLADE : ovate-cordate to -emarginate, somewhat glaucous; primary lateral veins pinnate, running into inconspicuous marginal vein, higher order venation reticulate. INFLORESCENCE : 1, rarely 2 in each floral sympodium, appearing with leaves. PEDUNCLE : short. SPATHE : ovate-lanceolate, boat-shaped, unconstricted, persistent, convolute at base, gaping above, light green outside with dark longitudinal lines, inside purple and roughened, smelling of fungi. SPADIX : much shorter than spathe, subcylindric, obtuse, female zone partly or completely adnate to spathe, ± laxly flowered, separated from male zone by a few bisexual or sterile flowers, male zone longer, fertile to apex. FLOWERS : unisexual, perigone absent. MALE FLOWER : synandrium 4-5-androus, long-stipitate, stipe elongate-conoid, whorl of anthers apical or shortly overtopped by central pistillode, thecae oblong-elliptic, dehiscing by longitudinal slit. POLLEN : purple to pinkish, inaperturate, spherical to subspheroidal, medium-sized (mean 49 µm.), exine spinose. BISEXUAL FLOWERS : as for female but with whorl of 4-5 free stamens with flattened elongate-triangular filaments and thecae dehiscing as above. FEMALE FLOWER : gynoecium surrounded by 3-5 free, elongate-triangular, flattened, acute staminodes, ovary ovoid-globose, 3-5-locular, ovules 1 per locule, orthotropous, funicle distinct, placenta axile-basal, style attenuate, stigma discoid-subcapitate, slightly 3-5-lobed. BERRY : ± subglobose, 3-5- furrowed, 3-5-seeded, style persistent. SEED : rather large, ovoid to obnapiform, testa ± rough, embryo elongate, straight, endosperm copious.