Araceae
Taccarum weddellianum Brongn. ex Schott
SUMMARY
Seasonal geophytic herb. Stem tuberous, globose, 45-8 x 5-12 cm. Leaf solitary; petiole 28-132 x 2-1.2 cm, marbled in brown and pink; leaf blade ovate to round in outline, 30-60 x 24-45 cm, bi or tripinnatipartite, medium glossy green adaxially, paler and also glossy adaxially, anterior division 22-60 x 22-38 cm, lobes 2-3 per side, pinnatipartite to bipinnatipartie, 10-15 x 6-8 cm; lobules ovate to lanceolate sometimes also pinnatilobed, 2-4.5 x 0.8-1.5 cm; posterior division 8-15 x 24-30 cm, acroscopic lobes 2-3, sometimes pinnatilobed, basiscopic 2-3, many times pinnatilobed, basal nerve denuded for 2-3 cm. Inflorescence solitary, arising together with the leaf; peduncle 10-24 x 0.5-0.8 cm, shorter than the petiole; spathe 10-18.5 x 7.5-8 cm, ovate, deciduous soon after the anthesis; spadix 26-43 cm long, obliquely stipitate for 1.5 cm, female portion 5-11 x 1.2-2,2 cm; fertile male portion 15-31 x 2-4.5 cm. Synandria 4-6-androus, 8-18 mm long, filaments completely connate, 6-15 x 1-2 mm, thecae oblong, 1.5-2 x 0.5 mm, connective inconspicuous, 0.5-0.6 x 1.2-1.5 mm; female flowers 7-10 mm long, staminodes free, 2-3 x 0.8-0.5 mm, slightly capitate, stigma capitate, lobed, 2-2.5 mm diam., style conspicuous, longer than ovary, 3-6 x 1-1.2 mm, ovary depressed-globose, 1.5-2.5 x 3-4 mm, 4-loculed, locules 1-ovulate. Berries only slightly furrowed, greenish basally, blackish-purple at apex, 7-8 X 9-10 mm; seeds ellipsoid, 6 x 5-6 mm.