Cryptocoryne cordata var. cordata

Evergreen herb to 1,5 m tall. Subterranean stem a rhizome, to 9 × 4 cm, light brown outside and purplish white inside. Cataphylls sheathing separately petiole and peduncle, 10–20 cm long, brown; petiole to 100 × 1.5 cm, green or light dull orange with darker markings; leaf blade trifoliolate; leaflets elliptic, 20–30 × 8–12 cm, margins entire, apex acuminate, ending in an arista 1–1.5 cm long; central leaflet base cuneate, with a petiolule 3.5–6 cm long; lateral leaflets strongly asymmetrical, base convex, with a petiolule 2–3.5 cm long, glossy green with slightly impressed veins above, underside paler. Inflorescence held above the foliage; peduncle up to 1.1 m long × 5 mm across, green or purple becoming white-green towards the spathe; spathe tube subcylindrical, ca 6 × 1.5 cm at the base, widening to ca 2 cm near the mouth, pale green, paler at the base, translucent, spathe mouth margins with dark green, broad, semi-orbicular auricles, to 2 cm wide, overlapping behind; spathe limb obovate, 7–10 × ca 1.5 cm at the base, reaching ca 6 cm wide in the middle part, glossy green, apex acuminate with filiform tip to 1 cm long; spadix appendix slightly exserted from the tube, erect, subcylindrical, white-green, with a rounded, rugose apex, 2.5–4 cm long × 2–4 mm wide, sessile, often with 2 or 3 short bristles above the fertile part; fertile zone staminate or bisexual, 3.5–5 cm long; staminate flowers 2–4-androus, subsessile; anthers cream; thecae dehiscent by an oblong pore. Pistillate flowers densely arranged; ovaries ovoid; stigma on a short style, penicillate, white. Infructescence on an erect peduncle, cylindrical, to 5 × 2.5 cm; fruits bright red when ripe, ovoid, ca 6–7 mm long and wide, flattened on top, up to 4 seeds per berry. Seeds globose, 6–7 mm diam.