Cyrtosperma Griff.

HABIT : slender to gigantic evergreen herbs, usually solitary, sometimes clump-forming, rhizome thick, condensed, creeping. LEAVES : several. PETIOLE : sometimes very long, aculeate, geniculate apically, sheath short. BLADE : deeply sagittate, hastate-sagittate or ± tripartite (posterior divisions usually larger than anterior), veins sometimes aculeate on lower surface; basal ribs very well-developed, primary lateral veins pinnate, running into marginal vein, higher order venation reticulate, . INFLORESCENCE : 1-2 in each floral sympodium, appearing with the leaves. PEDUNCLE : long, similar to petioles. SPATHE : marcescent, erect, blackish purple to white, convolute or not in lower part, upper part rarely somewhat fornicate, long-acuminate and twisted in some species. SPADIX : sessile or stipitate. FLOWERS : bisexual, perigoniate; tepals 4-6, somewhat thickened at apex, fornicate. STAMENS : 4-6, filaments free, flat and broad, connective slender, thecae oblong-ovate, dehiscing by apical slit. POLLEN : monosulcate, ellipsoid, medium-sized (mean 29 µm., range 28-30 µm.), exine foveolate, apertural exine psilate. GYNOECIUM : 1-locular, ovules 1-many, campylotropous to subamphitropous, placenta basal to parietal, style short or inconspicuous, stigma subhemispheric, exuding droplet at anthesis. BERRY : obovoid, 1-7-seeded, usually red when mature, bearing remnants of stigma (in C. cuspidispathum ripe berries are extruded and dangle on strips of tepal epidermis; A. Hay pers. comm.). SEED : reniform to orbicular to helically twisted, cristate, warty or smooth, embryo curved, endosperm present.