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.
Family:

Araceae
Scientific Name:

Xanthosoma
Description:

Genus Description - Terrestrial herbs. Caudex tuberous and subterranean or growing over the surface of ground and rooting at lower nodes, the apical portion erect, stout. Sap white. Leaves: petiole amplexicaul, conspicuously sheathing at base, subterete above sheath, moderately spongy; blade moderately thin, sagittate, hastate, trisect or pedatisect; midrib sunken or raised above, prominently raised below, the primary lateral veins of blades or their segments spreading toward margins, forming several collective veins, the tertiary veins conspicuous. Inflorescences 1-several per axil, much shorter than leaves; spathe convolute at base, the tube usually green, mostly ellipsoid, constricted somewhat above tube, persistent after anthesis, the blade moderately thin, usually white, naviculiform at anthesis, promptly deciduous after anthesis; spadix shorter than spathe, the pistillate portion cylindric, densely many-flowered, slightly tapered toward apex, light green to bright orange, the staminate portion clavate, usually several times longer than pistillate portion, slightly constricted above sterile portion (at the base). Flowers unisexual, naked. Staminate flowers irregularly 4-6-sided; stamens 4-6, connate to form an obpyramidal truncate synandrium, the thecae obversely oblong-triangular or oblong, opening at apex of connective by short slit. Ovaries oblong to ovoid, coherent by thickened annuliform styles, 2-4-celled; stigma discoid or hemispheric-discoid, 3- or 4-lobate; ovules several or numerous, anatropous. Berries cylindroid, 3-4-celled. Seeds many per locule, ovoid, shorter than funicles, the testa sulcate.