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Araceae
Bucephalandra belindae S. Y. Wong & P. C. Boyce
Nomenclature
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Family: AraceaeGenus: Bucephalandra
SUMMARY
Diminutive obligate rheophytic herbs c. 3 cm tall, occurring as very extensive mats of weakly-rooting interlaced stems, with much of plant hanging in water flow. Stem slender, c. 2 mm in diam., creeping and much-branched, with active portions sub-erect. Leaves forming rosettes on tips of active branches, many together; petiole 2 - 4 mm long × c. 1 mm in diam., adaxially canaliculate, pale reddish, sheathing at extreme base, wings extended into a narrowly ligular portion to 7 mm long; blade very narrowly oblong-linear, 2.5 - 3 cm long × c. 2 mm wide, margin very strongly undulate-crispulate, slightly to rather markedly recurved, semi-glossy dark green adaxially, reddish tinged abaxially, base cuneate, apex rounded and apiculate for c. 0.3 mm; midrib abaxially prominent; primary lateral veins 1 or 2, running almost parallel to margins and merging with leaf tip; secondary venation adaxially forming a ± obscure reticulum, all other venation nearly invisible. Inflorescence solitary; peduncle greatly exceeding petioles, 4 - 5 cm long, longitudinally sulcate, pale green and somewhat refractive, heavily speckled pinkish red. Spathe broadly ovate, not constricted, c. 1 cm long; lower spathe funnel-form, yellowish green with pinkish speckles, persistent; limb inflating and gaping distally to form a narrow opening at pistillate anthesis, caducous during staminate anthesis, white with a little to considerable pinkish red speckling, dorsal median band greenish with pink speckles and staining, occasionally entire limb rose pink with darker pink speckles, tip blunt, green. Spadix c. 6 mm long; pistillate zone sessile, c. 2 mm long × c. 2 mm in diam., with 1(or incompletely 2) spiral(s) of pistils; pistils compressed globose, c. 0.5 mm in diam., bright lime-green; stigma sessile, rather discoid umbonate, c. 1/3 diameter of ovary, papillate at anthesis; pistillodes absent; interstice with 1 row of scale-like staminodes, these c. 0.7 mm long × c. 1 mm wide, margins ventrally thickened, staminodes initially erect (pistillate anthesis), during staminate anthesis reflexing until perpendicular to spadix axis, initially pale salmon-pink, later (post-anthesis) becoming green and persisting to cover developing fruit; staminate zone c. 2 mm long × c. 2.5 mm in diam., consisting of 2 (or 3) rows of flowers; staminate flowers pale salmon-pink; stamen c. 1 mm across; filament short; connective strap-like; thecae inserted ventrally on connective, individually ellipsoid, c. 0.4 mm long × c. 0.2 mm wide, smooth, pale salmon-pink; thecae horns c. 1/3 length of associated theca, ascending, stoutly setaceous; appendix conic-cylindric to globose, c. 2.5 mm long × 1.5 - 2 mm in diam., glossy waxy white; appendix staminodes few, comparatively large, c. 1.5 mm in diam., rhomboidal, tops smooth. Fruiting spathe broadly funnel-form, c. 6 mm in diam., medium green with dense pinkish red speckles, with green shield-shaped staminodes persistent and spent distal part of spadix falling; fruits and seeds not seen.