Syngonium
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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. Stems usually unbranched, rooting at nodes, the internodes long or short. Juvenile plants terrestrial, the first blades ovate to elliptic, succeeding blades usually hastate. Preadult plants typically climbing, with shorter internodes, the leaf blades usually sagittate, rarely ovate to elliptic or oblong. Adult plants typically with moderately short internodes. Sap white. Leaves: petiole elongate, sheathing often to middle or rarely to apex, typically angular adaxially above sheath, amplexicaul at base, lacking any obvious geniculum at apex, the sheath usually unequal at apex, sometimes free-ending; blade either simple, entire, and ovate to oblong-elliptic or trisect to pedatisect with 5-11 leaflets, rarely incisedlobate, usually moderately thin, the median segments ± equilateral, the lateral segments of trisect or pedatisect blades often conspicuously inequilateral, confluent or free from one another, outermost pair often conspicuously auriculate; primary lateral veins joining to form 3 or more collective veins, the tertiary veins reticulate, usually conspicuous. Inflorescences 1 to several per axil, the peduncle erect in flower, pendent in fruit; spathe with tube ovoid to ellipsoid, convolute at base, the tube green at anthesis, often colored in fruit, usually reopening to expose fruits, the blade caviform, white to greenish white, opening broadly at anthesis, drying promptly after anthesis, usually deciduous; spadix much shorter than spathe, the pistillate portion much shorter than staminate portion, green to orange, the staminate portion clavate, white, the basal part of staminate portion with a section of irregular sterile staminate flowers. Staminate flowers of 3 or 4 stamens united into a synandrium, the synandria truncate to somewhat rounded at apex, connective thick, anthers opening by short slits; pollen emerging in viscid threads. Pistillate flowers connate; ovary oblong to oblong-obovoid, usually (l)2(3)-celled; stigma usually discoid or bilabiate, rarely orbicular or cup-shaped; ovule 1(2) per cell, erect, anatropous. Fruits baccate, connate into an ovoid syncarp, contained within persistent spathe tube until maturity. Seeds obovoid or ovoid; funicle short, testa smooth, thin, black or dark brown, shiny; endosperm lacking.