Rhodospatha
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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.
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Family
Araceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Genus Description - Appressed hemiepiphytic climbers or sometimes on rocky stream banks, rooting at nodes, the vegetative parts with trichosclereids scattered beneath epidermis. Juvenile plants terrestrial, with long internodes. Preadult plants with increasingly shorter internodes. Adult plants with internodes short, unbranched to branched. Leaves distichous, erect-spreading; petiole about equalling blade, amplexicaul at base, sheathing throughout much of length, geniculate at apex, the sheath persistent or deciduous; blade oblong to oblong-elliptic, slightly unequal at base, sometimes slightly inequilateral; midrib sunken above, prominently raised below, the primary lateral veins numerous, usually closely spaced, not forming collective veins, the interprimary veins numerous, typically much less conspicuous than primary lateral veins. Inflorescences erect, much shorter than leaves, the peduncle short, longer or shorter than spathe; spathe broadly ovate or oblong-ovate, abruptly cuspidate, moderately coriaceous, longitudinally veined, typically white or pink, promptly deciduous; spadix sessile or stipitate, cylindroid. Flowers naked, perfect or rarely pistillate (at base); stamens 4, filaments broad, complanate, narrowed to slender, acuminate connective, thecae ellipsoid, longer than connective, dehiscent by lateral slits; ovary 4-angled, 2-celled, ovules several or numerous per cell, amphitropous, the style thicker than ovary, the stigma usually an oblong slit, rarely 2- or 3-lobate, persisting in fruit. Berries small, cylindric-prismatic, truncate, usually not colorful, 10-12-seeded. Seeds folded over, rounded-reniform to lentiform, short funiculate the testa minutely verruculose.