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Araceae
Cryptocoryne sivadasanii Bogner
Nomenclature
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Family: AraceaeGenus: Cryptocoryne
SUMMARY
Rhizomatous perennials, rhizome 3-8 cm long and 0.4-0.7 cmin diam., up to 8 cm deep in the soil, often with transverse nodal ridges; roots of first order 2-3 mm in diam., second order roots thinner, 0.2-0.6 mm in diam. Leaves several, the submerged ones very long, the emerged ones short without normal blades; petiole 10-32 cm long and 0.12-0.2 cm in diam., sheath 3-10 cm long, lower part (below soil) white, upper part green; leaf blade (30-)40-130 cm long and (0.3-)0.4-0.6 cm wide, linear, tip apiculate, margin entire, sometimes (when not fully submerged) undulate to wavy, olive to purplish green, without clear demarcation between blade and petiole; midrib light green, not very pronounced, lateral veins inconspicuous, 2-3 on each side of the midrib. Peduncle 0.5-2(-4) cm long and 0.25-0.35 cm in diam. Spathe (4-)7-14.5 cm long; kettle 1.5-2.8 cm long and 0.6-0.8 cm in diam., somewhat constricted below the male portion, white at base and purplish above inside, with small depressed translucent pits (alveolae) around the male portion; tube between kettle and limb (1.5-)2.8-6 cm long and (0.3-)0.4-0.6 cm in diam., with purplish spots inside; limb (1.5-)2.5-4.5 cm long and 0.8-1 cm broad at base, ovate, acuminate, tip spirally twisted and recurved, warty inside, its colour varying from yellowish green to purplish, reddish brown, bluish green or cream, mostly with purple spots; collar present at base of the limb, warts present on the limb above the collar (collar not discernible when dry). Spadix 15-28 mm long, the basal female portion 4-5 mm long, the naked slender interstice (axis of spadix) 5-10 mm long, the male portion ellipsoid to globular, 2-4 mm long and 2-2.2 mm in diam., with (40-)54-80 male flowers, the terminal, short elongate-conoid appendix 1.25-1.5 mm long. Flap elliptic, c. 3 mm long and 2 mm wide, whitish. Male flowers consisting of one stamen only, c. 0.5 mm long and 0.3-0.4 mm wide (viewed from above), with a conspicuous rim at the top and two bilocular thecae, each with a tubular horn, opening apically by a small pore. Female flowers 3-4(-6), c. 4 mm high, connate in a whorl; stigma sessile, 0.6-0.8 mm in diam., round, with slight depression in the centre, covered with short papillae; each ovary with 10-14 ovules; olfactory bodies usually 4, rarely to 6, obconoid with a rough and flat top, each 0.3-0.4 mm long and 0.5-0.75 mm in diam., situated just above the female flowers and alternating with the stigmas. Infructescence ovoid, 10-18 mm long and 9-12 mm in diam. Seeds 5-8 per ovary, more or less ellipsoid, somewhat irregularly angled by pressure of the neighbouring seeds, 3.5-4 mm long and 1.5-1.75 mm wide, brownish; testa more or less smooth or finely punctate, not ribbed; embryo elongate, 1.5-2 mm long and 0.3-0.4 mm in diam.; endosperm copious, white, c. 0.4 mm thick. Chromosome number. – 2n = 36, counts based on Bogner 1846 (pers. comm. G. Petersen, Copenhagen).