Stenospermation escobariae Croat & D.C.Bay

Usually terrestrial, sometimes hemiepiphytic; stem erect or appressed-climbing; internodes conspicuously transversely fissured, corky, gray, sometimes pale reddish brown, 1–3 x 0.5–1.50 cm, slightly longer than broad, drying gray, corky; roots 1 to 2 or none per node at upper nodes, drying gray; cataphylls 13.5–18 cm, long-tapered at apex, promptly deciduous. LEAVES erect; petioles stiff, 13.5–23 cm, dark green; sheath 9–17.5 cm, 0.4–0.8 times as long as petiole, dark green with pale brown scarious margins, gradually tapered at apex, drying dark brown with longitudinal wrinkles and pale scarious margins; blades elliptic to oblanceolate, subcoriaceous, longacuminate at apex (acumen downturned and apiculate), attenuate to cuneate at base, 16–28(35.5) x 3–7.5(9.5) cm, (3.3)3.8–5.3 times longer than wide, 0.9–1.8 times longer than petiole, broadest at middle or more often beyond middle, upper surface glossy to semiglossy, dark green, drying dull, dark olive-brown, lower surface semiglossy, paler, drying glossy, medium brown; midrib narrowly sunken, concolorous above, narrow-raised and paler than blade below, drying concolorous with blade on both sides or sometimes paler below; primary lateral veins moderately obscure, but slightly puckering the blade, drying obscure or slightly raised below, departing midrib at 40^o–50^o angles; minor veins obscure. INFLORESCENCE 1 per axil, arching; peduncle 7–22 cm, cernuous, not fully erect at anthesis, equal to or longer than petiole; spathe 14–22 cm, long-tapered, light green becoming white, promptly deciduous at anthesis; spadix stipitate to 8 mm, cylindrical, 10+ cm long (all specimens broken off at some point along their length), 6–8 mm diam. (dry), yellowish green, becoming yellow at anthesis. Flowers hexagonal, stylar surface papillose; stigma oblong or linear, drying 0.8–1 mm, brown; stamens with filaments 1.2–1.4 mm; thecae oblong. INFRUCTESCENCE to 15 cm long, drying 1 cm wide; berries bluish green, matte; seeds 1.5–2 mm.