Homalomena scutata S. Y. Wong & P. C. Boyce

Herbs lithophytic, perennial, erect, to c. 50 cm tall, but usually c. 1/2 this size, vegetative tissues strongly aromatic (terpenes). Stem pleionanthic, erect and congested in young adult plants, later elongated and pendulous with greater portion naked, with active portion ascending and bearing clusters of leaves at tips, internodes to 3 cm long × c. 1 cm in diam. Modules subtended by a stout 2-keeled prophyll c. 6 cm long × 1.5 cm wide. Leaves up to 8 together, with blades pendulous from tips of erect petioles; petiole 12 – 25 cm long × c. 3 mm in diam., sub-terete, distal-most part very weakly D-shaped in cross-section, semi-glossy medium green with small broken darker longitudinal streaks; petiolar sheath open, c. 3 cm long, c. 1/5 length of petiole, wings c. 5 mm wide at base, long-persistent, paler green than petiole; leaf blade ovate, 15 – 19 cm long × 10 – 18 cm wide, somewhat coriaceous, paler green abaxially, semi-matt dark green adaxially, base rounded with a very slight indentation at petiole insertion, apex acute and then mucronate for c. 2 mm; midrib slightly rounded-raised abaxially, adaxially very slightly impressed, up to 3 mm wide; primary lateral veins 6 or 7 on each side, diverging at c. 40° from midrib, abaxially very weakly raised and darker than blade, appearing pellucid, adaxially ± flush with blade; interprimary veins c. 1/2 width of primary lateral veins, very much more numerous, flush with blade adaxially, pellucid; secondary venation almost invisible in fresh material, barely visible in dried specimens; tertiary venation invisible; all veins running into a weakly defined thickened intramarginal vein. Inflorescences up to 6 together, each subtended by a small narrowly triangular prophyll, suberect at anthesis with spathe somewhat nodding, smelling of anise; peduncle to 9 – 12 cm long × c. 3 mm in diam., semi-glossy medium green with small broken darker longitudinal streaks; Spathe stiff, c. 6 cm long × c. 2 cm wide at anthesis, exterior semi-glossy pale green with darker streaks, interior greenish white; lower spathe ovoid, subequal to limb; limb narrowly triangular, acuminate, with a terminal mucro c. 3 mm long; lower spathe inflating and spathe limb spreading at pistillate anthesis, spathe limb opening flat at staminate anthesis with spadix extending and protruding; spathe later closing to re-enclose spadix. Spadix 4 – 5 cm long × c. 6 mm in diam., stipitate; stipe obliquely inserted on peduncle, c. 8 mm long on its longest side, c. 2 mm in diam., glossy pale green to whitish; pistillate flower zone weakly fusiform, nearly 1/2 length of spadix, c. 2 cm long; pistils densely arranged, globose, c. 1.5 mm tall × c. 1 mm in diam., greenish white, stigma convex topped, equalling ovary, c. 1 mm tall × 1.5 – 2 mm in diam., semi-translucent, glossy greenish; interpistillar staminodes absent; sterile interstice 1 – 2 mm long, contiguous with pistillate and staminate zones, with 1 – 3 incomplete rows of rounded to slightly rhombohexagonal glossy white staminodes; staminate flower zone narrowly conic, c. ½ length of spadix, entirely exserted from lower spathe chamber, 2.5 – 3 cm long, apex obtuse, ivory; staminate flowers densely arranged, trapezoid to hexagonal in plan view, each flower consisting of 4 stamens, lowermost 1 or 2 rows of flowers with scattered single ellipsoid staminodes replacing part of individual flowers. Infructescence with spathe remaining green. Fruits not observed.