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Araceae
Stylochaeton shabaensis Malaisse & Bamps
SUMMARY
Perennial plant, erect, inflorescence partially underground; rhizome tuberous, ± vertical 1-1.5 cm thick and reaching 10-15 cm long, surrounded by old fibrous cataphylls and with numerous fleshy roots, 2-5 mm thick and 15 cm long, LEAVES develop afte r the flowers, often grouped in 2s-3s, cataphylls 10-12 cm long and 2 cm wide; petiole reaching 35 cm long, base broadened and sheathed on the lower 2/3, narrowing progressively, green spotted on purple in the top part; leaf blade generally ovate, 15-24 cm long and 8-18 cm wide, truncate to broadly cordate at the base, acute and apiculate at the apex, with numberous red punctuations on both faces; secondary veins strong arcuate ascending. INFLORESCENCE appearing clearly before the leaves, cataphylls reaching only 8 cm in length 1.5 cm wide, sheathing at the base of the peduncle; peduncle 3-5 cm long and 3-5 mm thick. Spathe subcylindric to fusiform, creamy green, 5-6 cm long and 1-1.5 cm diameter at the middle, narrowed at ¼ of the way up and broader again towards the base, split in the top half but with margins close together, often ending in a curved apex, veined longitudinally and rugulose. Spadix with female flowers arranged in 3-4 spiral verticils, 9-11 mm diameter and 8 mm high, topped by a sterile part of the axis for 2-3 mm, sometimes bearing some ± bisexual flowers apparently not functional, the male flowers form a subcylinder 25 mm high and 6 mm diameter. Male flowers numerous and densely packed, perigone rhomboid 1.2-1.8 mm wide and 0.8 mm tall, top margin undulated; stamens 4; anthers tetragonal, 1.2 mm tall; filaments filiform, 0.5 mm long, pistillode short and squat. Female flowers 25-35, densely packed; perigon ± rhomboid, 2-3 mm wide and 2.5 mm tall, pruinose at the apex, punctate with many red incrustations on both surfaces of the lateral wall; ovary 1.8-2.5 mm wide and 2 mm tall, white incrustations on outside, 2 locular with 3 ovules per locule; axile placentation, apical style, 1.5-1.8 mm high, ending with a ± parasol shaped stigma and papilose, containing 20 berries; peduncle approximately 6 cm long.