Bucephalandra tetana
Diminutive obligate rheophytic herbs c. 3 cm tall, forming patches up to 25 cm across. Stem creeping and rooting with active portion semi-erect, branching repeatedly, branches 0.5 - 3 cm long × 1.5 - 2 mm in diam., usually bright reddish. Leaves many together, densely arranged along stems, mostly semi-erect, sometimes appressed to substrate; petiole c. 1 cm long × c. 2 mm in diam., adaxially canaliculate, reddish, sheathing at extreme base, wings extended into a very narrowly triangular ligular portion to 1 cm long; blade obovate to elliptic, 4 - 5 cm long × c. 2 cm wide, very stiffly coriaceous, semi-glossy dark green with minute whitish punctulations adaxially, paler yellow-reddish to reddish, less often green abaxially, and supplied with numerous minute reddish punctulations, base cuneate, apex rounded and stiffly apiculate for c. 3 mm, margin somewhat recurved; midrib abaxially and adaxially very prominent, reddish abaxially; primary lateral veins 3 on each side, diverging at c. 60° and running to a marginal vein; interprimary veins alternating with primaries, slightly finer; all other venation obscure. Inflorescence solitary; peduncle exceeding petioles, 2 - 3 cm long, con spicuously longitudinally sulcate, reddish, colour in tensifying along ridges. Spathe broadly ovate, not constricted, c. 2 cm long; lower spathe funnel-form, pale bright green, persistent; limb gaping at pistillate anthesis, opening via a wide slit as far at lower spathe, then caducous, white with a faint pink flush, apiculate for c. 2 mm, apiculum deep reddish brown. Spadix c. 1 cm long; pistillate zone c. 1.5 mm long × c. 1.5 mm in diam., with 2 or 3 incomplete spirals of pistils; pistils rhombic-globose, c. 0.5 mm in diam., lime-green; stigma sessile, umbonate, slightly impressed, c. ½ diameter of ovary, papillate at anthesis; pistillodes absent; interstice with 1 row of scale-like staminodes, these c. 1 mm long × c. 1.2 mm wide, margin somewhat thickened, glossy white; staminate zone c. 2.5 mm long × c. 2.5 mm in diam., consisting of 2 or 3 rather irregular rows of flowers; staminate flowers ascending, creamy white; stamen c. 1 mm across; filament short, slender; connective strapshaped; thecae inserted ventrally, ellipsoid, c. 1 mm long × c. 0.5 mm wide, smooth; thecae horns c. ¼ length of associated theca, setaceous, spreading; appendix bluntly ellipsoid, c. 5 mm long × 2.5 - 3 mm in diam., cream; appendix staminodes well-defined, columnar, regularly polygonal, truncate, c. 1 mm in diam., upper surface somewhat brain-like. Infructescence not seen.
Known only from the type locality.
Bucephalandra tetana is rheophytic on exposed but mossy basalt river rocks under perhumid upper hill to lower montane forest at c. 900 m above sea level.