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Araceae
Schismatoglottis linae S.Y.Wong
SUMMARY
Leaf petioles terete, obscurely longitudinally ridged (clearer under magnification), glabrous, up to ca 40 cm long, slightly channelled and carinate adaxially in cross section; sheathing in the lower 1/3 to 1/2, sheath fully attached, closed, tapering, coriouceous, marcescent; lamina broadly ovate to oblongo-ovate, more-or-less elliptic, thinly coriaceous, slightly bullate, 8-10 cm wide × 15-25 cm long, base broadly rounded to sub-truncate, slightly retuse or cuneate, apex acute to strongly acuminate to ca 3 cm, adaxial surface semi-matte mid-green, abaxial surface paler green, glaucous, drying strongly discolorous, midrib adaxially flush with lamina, abaxially prominent, raised canaliculate in cross section; primary venation impressed adaxially, strongly raised abaxially with 18-22 primary lateral veins on each side, alternating with lesser interprimaries, frequently with a few branches from near the base, both diverging at 45o- 60o and gradually curving towards the apex before reaching the intermarginal collecting vein; secondary venation, arising from the midrib and the primary veins; tertiary venation obscure tessellate adaxially and abaxially in both living plants and dry specimens. Inflorescences up to three in quick succession alternating with foliage leaves ca 5 cm long, (i.e. not forming a true synflorescence), fragrant (esterases) at female anthesis; peduncle to ca 1 cm, not exserted from leaf bases, slightly exserted in fruit; spathe interior glossy, exterior semi-glossy, coriaceous, ca 13 cm long, lower spathe narrowly ovoid, green when fresh, ca 3.5 cm long × 1 cm diam., differentiated from the limb by a constriction; limb truncate, white, ca 8 cm long, coriaceous, opening wide except for convolute base, at first over-arching, then reflexed, finally more or less twisted and then caducous-crumbling in longitudinal stripes, delisquescent post male anthesis, apex mucronate ca 4 mm long; spadix sessile, adnate isodiametrically to the spathe in the lower ½ of female zone, whitish, to ca 10 cm long, less than the length of spathe; female zone ca 2.5 cm long, 1/3 of spadix length; pistils many, crowded, round to slightly rhomboid, with weakly bisulcate longitudinal ridges, ca 0.5 mm diam. × 0.5 mm long; stigma smaller than ovary, bun-shaped, to ca 0.3 mm diam., punctiform, papillate; interpistillar staminodes confined into a row along the spathe/spadix adnation, stalked, clavate and flat-topped, ca 0.5 mm diam., similar size to pistils; sterile interstice strongly narrowed, ca 0.4 cm diameter in the middle, ca 5 mm long, basally more or less covered with inflated abortive pistils (reduced stigmas), twice the diameter of ovary, transversely sulcate, apically covered with sterile stamens, irregular shape, slightly wider than stamens; male zone cylindric, ca 5 mm diam. × 3.5 cm long, 1/3 of spadix length, slightly increased in diameter from interstice; stamens crowded, truncate, ca 0.4 mm across, dumbbell-shaped with the connective not elevated above the thecae, connective broad, pore oblong and deep; appendix subcylindric, ca 3.5 cm long, 1/3 of spadix length, white when fresh and in alcohol, tapering to a sharp point, basally more or less not isodiametric with top of male zone; staminodes of appendix more or less columnar, irregularly polygonal, flat-topped, ca 0.5-1 mm diameter.