Xanthosoma plowmanii Bogner

Seasonally dormant geophyte. Stem tuberous, 2-4 x 2.4-3 cm, covered with a few cormels. Petioles villous, 21-29 x 0.3-0.6 cm, sheath 2-9 em equaling up to 1/6 of the petiole. Leaves 2-3, leaf blade pedatipartite, 3-5 lobes, 12-16 x 17-21 cm, villous in both surfaces, central lobe obovate to elliptic, base acute, apex acuminate, 11-12 x 6.5-7.5 cm, 1.2-1.8 times longer than wide, secondary nerves 7-8 per side, arising at an angle of 30-50°, converging in a irregular collective nerve that is 0.3-0.7 cm from the margin; lateral lobes obovate, 8-12 x 4.5-6 cm, 5-7 secondary nerves per side, subequaling or usually shorter than the central lobe. Inflorescence solitary. Peduncle villous, 5-10 x 0.3-0.5 cm. Spathe pale green on both surfaces, purplish at the inner side, 9-15 cm long, tube 3 x 1.8 cm, deciduous soon after anthesis, blade 6.1 x 2 cm. Spadix 9-14 x 0.8-1.3 cm, fertile male portion 4.2 x 0.8 cm, sterile male portion 3 x 1.3 cm, female portion 1.3-1.8 x 0.7-1 cm. Synandria 3-4-androus, 1- 1.5 x 2-3 mm, synandrodes more or less regular, gynoecium subprismatic 1.5-2 x 1-1.5 mm, stylar disk practically absent, stigma pale yellow. Spathe tube absent in fruiting material. Berry green, cylindric, ca. 2 x 2 mm. Seeds elliptic, 1-1.5 x 0.8-1 mm.