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Araceae
Stylochaeton natalensis Schott
SUMMARY
Rhizome ± vertical, at least 15 cm. long, 0.5-1 cm. in diameter, surrounded by persistent net-fibrous mass of old cataphylls and leaf-sheath bases; roots numerous, stout, tuberous, to 35 cm. long. Cataphylls 8-12 cm. long, acute, glabrous. LEAVES: Petiole 14-35 cm. long, green, sometimes with purplish-green transverse barring at base, glabrous or shortly pubescent basally; sheath often more than half petiole length, 8-17 cm. long, narrowing gradually to apex; blade triangular in outline, sagittate, sagittate-hastate, cordate-sagittate, rarely lanceolate, subcordate to emarginate, 6-30 cm. long, 5-18(-26) cm. broad, glabrous, apex acute, basal lobes separated by broad sinus. INFLORESCENCE appearing with leaves, borne above ground on distinct peduncle; peduncle 4-14 cm. long, glabrous to densely short-pubescent. Spathe 6-12 cm. or longer, green on outer surface with ribbed veins; tube erect, 3.5-6.5 cm. long, upper part subcylindric, 0.7-1.4 cm. in diameter, lower part slightly inflated, ovoid-ellipsoid, 1.3-2.5 cm. long, 0.7-1.5 cm. in diameter; limb lanceolate, narrowly acute-acuminate, somewhat thickened, primrose yellow within, margins revolute or not, 3-6 cm. long, erect or forward-curving, equal to or shorter than tube. Spadix shorter than spathe-tube, 3–5.2 cm. long; staminate part cylindric, 2.2-4 cm. long, 0.6-0.7 cm. in diameter, ± contiguous with pistillate part; pistillate part cylindric to ellipsoid-cylindric, 0.9-1.7 cm. long, 0.9-1 cm. in diameter. Staminate flowers with 2-5 stamens; perigons ± congested, rhomboid, margins massively thickened, conspicuously rugose, sometimes with several erect teeth; filaments slender, filiform; central pistillode subcylindric, equalling or shorter than perigon-margins. Pistillate flowers 20-40, spirally arranged; perigon regular, 4-6-sided, massively thickened and smooth (at least when young) on upper surface; ovary subglobose, pale green, 2-locular to incompletely 2-locular; ovules 1-2 per locule; placentas axile, in centre of septum near its apex; style pale green, cylindric, to 3 mm. long; stigma capitate-discoid, to 1 mm. broad. INFRUCTESCENCE cylindric to subglobose, up to 4 cm. long, 3 cm. in diameter.