Culcasia parviflora (Araceae)
Plant climbing with slender stem, 1-2 mm diam., 1-2 mm diam. often branched, reaching 1-10 m above ground, generally bearing leaves directed towards the base, and flattened against the bark of the support; Internodes distant 1-7 cm; Anchor roots small 1-4 cm, ± numerous. LEAVES: Petiole canaliculate, 2-3 (-5) cm, sheathed more than halfway or almost the entire length, sheath spreading to expanded wings; Blade 2-15 (-21) x 1.2-4.5 (-8) cm, lanceolate or cordiform, very often bent back and pressed against the petiole, base cordate, sometimes subtruncate, apex curved in a scythe shape, acute or obtuse, mucronate; 2-3 pairs distinct primary veins, curved ascending, the upper ones uniting with the secondary veins on either side of the main vein into collective vein; Black, translucent glandular dashes in the parenchyma, numerous in a fresh state, ± visible when dry; presence of circular excressences, greyish, scattered here and there on the lower surface of the blade. INFLORESCENCES formed of 1-4 terminal spadices, rarely axillary; Peduncles short, curved, 0.5-3 cm (-6 cm in fruit); Spathe yellowish green, 1.2-2.5 cm; spadix with short stipe, 5 mm; Male flowers white; Female flowers white cream. INFRUCTESCENCES: Berries ovoid, 5-6 mm, red.
From Guinea to Congo and Bas-Zaire; Common in Gabon and Cameroon where the species occurs in evergreen forst (Nkongsamba, Kumba, Limbe, Kribi/ Eséka, Yaoundé).
Forest zones, in shaded humid understorey of plains or damaged ground.