You are here
Araceae
Schismatoglottis javanica Engl.
SUMMARY
Small herb c. 30 cm tall. Stem repent to creeping, c. 1 cm diam., with internodes to c. 2.5 cm long. Leaves several together; petiole slender, c. 18-36 cm long, green to dark purple, sheathing in the lower ?-1/4; wings of sheath fully attached, tapering, marcescent; blade (narrowly) ovate, shallowly sagittate, dull dark green adaxially, light green abaxially, c. 12-24 cm long × c. 6-12 cm wide, the base more or less cordate with rounded posterior lobes c. 2-4 cm long, the apex acuminate for c. 1-1.5 cm; primary lateral veins c. 8-13 on each side of the midrib, slightly raised abaxially, somewhat sunken adaxially, diverging from the midrib at 50-60°, irregularly alternating with interprimary veins; submarginal veins c. 1 mm from the margin; secondary veins parallel to primary venation; tertiary venation forming an obscure tessellate reticulum. Inflorescences mostly in pairs; peduncle c. 4-11 cm long. Spathe yellowish-green, c. 7 cm long, constricted at the level of sterile zone of the spadix; lower spathe ovoid, c. 3 cm long, c. 2 cm wide, yellowish with darker green striation; limb yellowish-green, c. 4 cm long, c. 1 cm wide, gaping only slightly at the level of male zone to base of appendix of the spadix during anthesis, withering. Spadix sessile, free from the spathe, slightly curved, c. 5 cm long, shorter than spathe; female zone greenish, c. 1-1.5 cm long, c. 0.8 cm wide; ovary light green, ovoid-cylindric, 1.5-2 mm long, 0.5 mm diam.; stigma sessile, whitish, button-like; interpistillar staminodes 1 whorl at the base of female zone, taller than pistils, sometimes one or two amongst ovaries and crowded distally; sterile interstice c. 1 cm long, c. 0.6 cm diam., with a few staminodes, almost naked; male zone yellow, c. 2 cm long, c. 0.7 cm diam.; stamens more or less rectangular from above, distorting on dehiscence, 1.5 mm long, 0.5 mm diam., sunken-topped; thecae opening through apical pores; appendix white, c. 1 cm long, shorter than male zone, tapering toward the apex; staminodes of appendix flat-topped, irregularly polygonal. Fruit unknown.