Stylochaeton bogneri (Araceae)
Rhizome slender, horizontal, elongated, 0.4-0.6 cm. thick. Cataphylls 3-9 cm. long, apex subacute to rounded with subulate tip, whitish with irregular purple spotting. LEAF usually solitary; petiole 10-25 cm. long, pale green with irregular purple barring and spotting; basal sheath inconspicuous, very short, ±1 cm. long; blade broadly triangular in outline, cordate-sagittate, basal half of each margin normally convex in outline, 8-21 cm. long, 6-20 cm. broad, upper surface dark green, sometimes variegated with grey-green patches between main veins, much paler beneath, apex acute to obtuse, apiculate at extreme tip; basal lobes typically separated by ± oblong sinus. INFLORESCENCE appearing with leaves; peduncle 1-2 cm. long. Spathe somewhat forward-curving, tissues full of viscous material, 5.5-12 cm. long; tube 3-5 cm. long, 0.8-1.5 cm. in diameter, swollen at extreme base and again above an intervening constriction, buff with rose-purple tingeing; limb usually shorter than tube, 2-4 cm. long, 1-2 cm. broad, ± expanded, elliptic, slightly twisted, cream to buff and somewhat thickened on inner surface, apex subulate. Spadix much shorter than spathe, 3-6 cm. long; staminate part 1.5-3.5 cm. long, separated from pistillate part by interstice 0.5-1.3 cm. long bearing sterile flowers; pistillate part cylindric to subglobose, 1-1.5 cm. long. Staminate flowers with 2-4 stamens; perigons congested, narrowly rhomboid to very elongate, margins strongly undulate, not greatly thickened; stamens with filiform filaments; central pistillode cylindric, projecting well above perigon. Sterile flowers with perigon similar to that of fertile staminate flowers; staminodes with filiform filaments and spherical sterile anthers. Pistillate flowers 8-9, spirally arranged; perigon ± regular, greenish white, rugulose, massively thickened and mealy on upper surface; style whitish, stout, swelling apically; stigma discoid, plano-convex, 2.5-2.7 mm. broad, pale rose to white; ovary ± smooth on upper surface, 1-2-locular; unilocular ovaries with 3 ovules on single intrusive parietal placenta, or placenta ± basal with vestigial parietal connection, 2-locular ovaries with single, axile ovule per locule. INFRUCTESCENCE: Berries 1-2-seeded, ± smooth on upper surface.
A distinctive species with stoloniferous rhizomes, named for Josef Bogner (München Botanic Garden) on whose excellent collections the description is primarily based. Leaf usually sagittate, basal half of blade margin convex, blade sometimes with grey-green patches between main veins; rhizome elongated, slender, up to 0.6 cm in diameter.
Kenya, Tanzania. K7; T3; not known elsewhere.
Evergreen forest, Brachystegia woodland.