Eminium Schott
SUMMARY
HABIT : medium-sized, seasonally dormant herbs, tuber subglobose. LEAVES : 3-6 (-8). PETIOLE : sheath relatively long. BLADE : oblong-elliptic (E. lehmannii, E. regelii), linear- to auriculate-hastate, or pedatifid-pedatisect with lobes of posterior divisions held ± erect in a spiral on the twisted basal ribs; primary lateral veins of lobes pinnate, forming submarginal collective vein, higher order venation reticulate. INFLORESCENCE : solitary, appearing with leaves. PEDUNCLE : much shorter than petiole of subtending leaf, apex often greatly thickened. SPATHE : marcescent, tube with convolute margins, subventricose to oblong, blade oblong or ovate-oblong, erect, inner surface sometimes densely rugose-puckered. SPADIX : slender, much shorter than spathe, female zone short-cylindric, separated from male zone by longer zone bearing usually scattered sterile flowers, male zone ellipsoid to cylindric, shorter or equalling female, appendix usually relatively short, elongate-clavate, stoutly to narrowly cylindric, rugose or smooth. FLOWERS : unisexual, perigone absent. MALE FLOWER : 2-androus, anthers subsessile to sessile, connective slender, thecae oblong-ellipsoid, dehiscing by apical slit. POLLEN : presented in a loose, powdery mass, not extruded in strands, grains inaperturate, spherical or subspheroidal, medium-sized (mean 44 µm.; 15-20 µm in E. koenenianum), exine spinose. STERILE FLOWERS : composed of subulate, sometimes flattened, patent, straight to slightly curved processes. FEMALE FLOWER : ovary ellipsoid-obovoid, 1-locular, ovules 2, orthotropous, funicle short, placenta basal to subbasal, style short to inconspicuous, stigma hemispheric. BERRY : subglobose, 1(-2) seeded. SEED : obnapiform to subglobose, testa leathery, rugose, with large strophiole, embryo small, elongate, endosperm copious.