Monographs Details:
Authority:
Mori, S. A., et al. 1997. Guide to the vascular plants of central French Guiana: Part 1. Pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and monocotyledons. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 76: 1-422.
Mori, S. A., et al. 1997. Guide to the vascular plants of central French Guiana: Part 1. Pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and monocotyledons. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 76: 1-422.
Family:
Araceae
Araceae
Description:
Genus Description - Terrestrial usually understory herbs. Caudices thick, often elongate and prostrate, rooting at lower nodes. Sap frequently milky and often with oxalic acid. Leaves: petiole elongate, amplexicaul, sheathing to middle or sometimes to apex, the sheath unequal, often free-ending; blade oblong to oblong-elliptic or obovate rarely narrowly ovate, typically subcoriaceous; lateral veins extending to margins without forming a collective vein. Inflorescences shorter than leaves, 1-several per axil; spathe oblong, persistent, convolute at base, often somewhat constricted near the middle, opening usually only above middle, usually green, sometimes whitish adaxially; spadix with pistillate portion about as long as staminate portion, fused to spathe, remotely many-flowered, the staminate portion clavate, white, free from spathe, densely many-flowered, usually separated from pistillate portion by a naked interval. Flowers naked. Staminate flowers with 4 stamens united into a 4- or 5-sulcate, truncate synandrium; anthers contiguous, the thecae obovoid, opening by apical slits. Pistillate flowers moderately dispersed, each surrounded by 4 or 5 claviform white staminodia, these longer than ovary, usually spreading; pistil 2- or 3-carpellate, sometimes 1-carpellate, sessile, depressed-ovoid, 2- or 3-lobate, the ovules 1 per cell, erect, anatropous; style lacking; stigma 2- or 3-lobate. Fruits baccate, globose or 2- or 3-lobed, 1- or 2(3)-seeded. Seeds globose or ovoid, the testa thick, smooth, endosperm lacking.
Genus Description - Terrestrial usually understory herbs. Caudices thick, often elongate and prostrate, rooting at lower nodes. Sap frequently milky and often with oxalic acid. Leaves: petiole elongate, amplexicaul, sheathing to middle or sometimes to apex, the sheath unequal, often free-ending; blade oblong to oblong-elliptic or obovate rarely narrowly ovate, typically subcoriaceous; lateral veins extending to margins without forming a collective vein. Inflorescences shorter than leaves, 1-several per axil; spathe oblong, persistent, convolute at base, often somewhat constricted near the middle, opening usually only above middle, usually green, sometimes whitish adaxially; spadix with pistillate portion about as long as staminate portion, fused to spathe, remotely many-flowered, the staminate portion clavate, white, free from spathe, densely many-flowered, usually separated from pistillate portion by a naked interval. Flowers naked. Staminate flowers with 4 stamens united into a 4- or 5-sulcate, truncate synandrium; anthers contiguous, the thecae obovoid, opening by apical slits. Pistillate flowers moderately dispersed, each surrounded by 4 or 5 claviform white staminodia, these longer than ovary, usually spreading; pistil 2- or 3-carpellate, sometimes 1-carpellate, sessile, depressed-ovoid, 2- or 3-lobate, the ovules 1 per cell, erect, anatropous; style lacking; stigma 2- or 3-lobate. Fruits baccate, globose or 2- or 3-lobed, 1- or 2(3)-seeded. Seeds globose or ovoid, the testa thick, smooth, endosperm lacking.