Alocasia infernalis P.C.Boyce

Small robust herb to ca 55 cm tall, stem slender, erect to ultimately decumbent with the active shoot tip ascending; leaves several together in nature, in cultivation up to 12, spreading in juveniles but erect in adult plants; petioles slender, spreading to ascending, ca 20 cm long, sheathing in the lower ca ½, minutely puberulent (lens required), bronze-green to purple-green depending on exposure, stronger light inducing a weak snake-skin marking, particularly on the interior of the sheath; sheath fleshy-membranous, open and recurving in the lower part; lamina ovato-triangular, up to 25 cm long but frequently much less and typically reaching ca 15 cm x 10−12 cm, thinly and somewhat weakly coriaceous, juveniles almost completely peltate except for a shallow retuse notch between the tips of the connate posterior lobes, adult leaves strongly peltate but with a 1−2 cm deep notch in the sinal tissue, margins smooth, apex acute, acuminate for ca 1 cm, adaxially glossy, very deep purple, abaxially deep purple, anterior costa with ca 3 primary lateral veins on each side, diverging at ca 60° (proximal ones) to 45° (distal ones); primary veins impressed distally adaxially, prominently raised abaxially; secondary venation obscure adaxially, abaxially forming strongly defined and raised interprimary collective veins; all veins running to a prominently raised (abaxially) inframarginal collecting vein; posterior lobes about ¼ the length of the anterior, posterior costae diverging at ca. 20°. Inflorescences 2 together, each subtended by a short, broad prophyll and a single cataphyll; peduncle long, ca 4−6 cm, pale green or purple flushed; spathe 4−9.5 cm long, lower spathe pale green, spathe limb externally glossy purple with the margins pale green; lower spathe 1.5−2.5 cm long, ovoid, separated from limb by a moderate constriction; limb narrowly lanceolate-triangular, at first erect then soon strongly reflexing and twisting with the margins inrolled, 2−6.5 cm long; spadix ca 1/2 the length of the spathe, ca 4.5 cm long, very briefly stipitate; stipe umbonate, ca 2 mm tall, glossy white; female zone ca 1/3 of the length of the spadix, pistils moderately densely arranged; ovaries compressed-globose, ca 2 mm diam., facing diagonally up, pale greenish white; style absent; stigma white, mostly trilobed, sterile interstice with a few scattered, compressed white synandrodia; male zone partially held within the lower spathe, cylindric, ca 1/3 the length  of the spadix, ivory; synandria somewhat laxly arranged, transversely oblong in plan view, ca 2 x 1 mm, thecae extending slightly from the edge of the synconnective; appendix about 1/3 of the length of the spadix, narrowly conic, pointed, white; fruiting spathe broadly ovoid, ca 2.5 cm long, pendent by reflexing of the peduncle, dull mid-green at fruit maturation, splitting longitudinally into several unequal strips, these reflexing to reveal the ripe berries; berries bright orange to red, globose, ca 0.5 cm diam., each with 1−3 seeds; seeds compressed ovoid, ca 2.5 diam., medium brown.