Xanthosoma pulchrum E.G.Gonç.

Geophytic herb, growing on well-drained slopes. Stem tuberous 5.5-9 cm long, 9-15 cm in diam. Leaves 2-5; petioles 50-77 X 1-1.5 cm, long, green with crimson stripes, sometimes completely crimson at base, pruinose, sheath 20-26 cm long, 30-40% of petiole length, sheath ending acute or cuneate; leaf blade cordate, 27-55 x 22-40 cm, semi-glossy to matte medium green adaxially, occasionally glaucous, drying semi-glossy and brown; matte green abaxially, drying glossy and yellow-green; veins concolorous in both surfaces; anterior division 18-49 x 22-40 cm, ovate, 2.3-3 times longer than the posterior divisions, primary lateral veins 3-4 per side, arising at an angle of 50-60°, drying clearer than the leaf blade below, concolorous below, sunken adaxially, prominent abaxially, concolorous in both surfaces, secondary veins slightly but visibly sunken adaxially, also conspicuously prominent abaxially, apex acute to acuminate; posterior divisions 7.5-17 x 22-40 cm, apex rounded, basioscopic veins 3-4, acroscopic 2-4, basal ribs not naked at all. Inflorescence usually solitary, rarely 2-3, peduncle slightly flattened laterally, 30-84 x 0.7-1 cm; spathe 13-19 cm long, tube ovoid, 5-6 x 3-4 cm, green outside, white with distal portion crimson inside, lamina ovate to elliptic, 8--13 X 5-6 cm, white with purplish margins outside, white with basal portion crimson inside, apex acuminate, acumen up to 11 mm long; spadix sessile, 17 cm long, fertile male portion 8-10 x 1.4-1.6 cm, white, tapering to the apex; sterile male portion 3.5-4.3 cm long, 1-1.7 cm diam. at base, white at base and purplish to the apex, conspicuously thicker than the fertile male portion, female portion 2-3 X 1.2-1.5 cm, slightly conoid. Flowers: Synandria 5-6-androus, 3-4 x 3-4 mm, prismatic to obpyramidal, 4-5 rows of lower synandria apparently staminoidal too; staminodes weakly dimorphic, lower staminodes 2-2.5 mm long, ovoid in upper view, 5-6 mm long, 4-5 n1.m wide; upper staminodes 1 mm long, oblong-linear in upper view, 2- 6 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, gynoecium prismatic, 3-4 mm long, stigma hemispherical, bright yellow, 1-1.5 mm diam., style discoid and coherent, 1.5-2 mm diam., whitish, ovary 2-3 locular, ovules 16-20 per locule, funicle with long trichomes. Infructescence not seen.