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Araceae
Homalomena terajaensis S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce
SUMMARY
Small evergreen mesophytic lithophytic herbs to ca 10 cm tall with aromatic (terpenoids) vegetative tissues. Stem pleionanthic, subterranean, erect, ca 15 mm thick, deep red, internodes to ca 2 mm long. Leaves many together, 9-15; petiole mainly terete, distal-most portion shallowly, rounded abaxially, 3-5 cm long, semi-glossy, green to reddish brown; petiolar sheath up to 5 mm long, almost 1/6 length of petiole, red, sheath margins remaining open, persistent, terminal part tapering; blade elliptic, 4-6 cm long × 3.5-5 cm wide, softly leathery, glossy medium to dark green adaxially, paler green abaxially, sometimes adaxially reddish-purple to reddish-brown, if so paler red abaxially, margins smooth, base cordulate, weakly oblique, tip acute, apiculate for 1 mm; midrib somewhat rounded-raised abaxially, adaxially somewhat impressed, ca 0.5 mm wide, with ca 4 primary lateral veins on each side, these diverging at 30°-40° from the midrib, abaxially flush to slightly raised, adaxially flush or very slightly impressed; interprimary veins ca 1/2 width of the primary lateral veins, regularly interspersed; secondary venation very inconspicuous; tertiary venation invisible, all veins running into a weakly defined thickened intermarginal vein. Inflorescences up to 5 together, erect at anthesis, later declinate; peduncle to ca 1.5 cm long × ca 1 mm diam., pinkish to dark red. Spathe 0.8-1 cm long, ca 3 mm wide, not constricted, semi-glossy yellowish green externally, somewhat shiny pale green internally, with a terminal short mucro to 2-3 mm long, red, spathe opening at anthesis by inflation and thence by a broad slit, later closing by which time spadix has extended to project beyond the tip of the closed spathe. Spadix up to 1 cm long × 2.5 mm diam., sterile at the tip by the non development of the staminate flowers, stipitate, stipe ca 1 mm, pale green; pistillate flower zone 1.5 mm long; pistils few, scattered, usually only 1-2 spirals, obliquely globose, ca 1 mm tall × 0.8-0.9 mm diam. greenish white, stigma sessile, somewhat punctate, 0.2-0.3 mm diam.; occasionally basal pistillate flowers associated with one staminode, teardrop-shaped, deflexed downwards, 0.5 mm long; suprapistillar interstice absent; staminate flower zone 8.5 mm long, apex acute; staminate flowers somewhat densely arranged, staminate flowers broadly dumbbell shaped, consisting of two stamens, stamens rounded, ca 0.5 mm tall, 0.5 mm long × ca 0.4 mm wide, white to very pale green, anther thecae opening by a broad terminal slit. Fruiting spathe declinate by flexing of the basal portion of the peduncle, red. Fruits and seeds not observed.