Cyrtosperma. | CL, AROIDEZ (BROWN), 199 
Barter states on his labels that the plant grows from 8 to 12 ft. high, and that a 
single spathe and its stem weighs from 10 to 18 pounds. Other collectors give the 
height us from 6 to 9 ft. 
22. RAPHIDOPHORA, Schott ; Benth. et Hook. f. 
Gen, Pl. iti. 992. 
Spathe boat-shaped, convolute, rather fleshy, quickly deciduous. 
Spadix free, sessile, cylindric, shorter than the spathe, everywhere 
densely covered with hermaphrodite flowers, excepting a few sterile 
ones at the base. Perianth none. Stamens 4; filaments about as long 
as the ovary, flattened; anthers slightly exserted, 2-celled; cells more 
or less divergent at the base, opening by oblique slits which reach to 
about half-way down. Ovaries obpyramidal, angular from mutual 
pressure, subtruncate, l-celled, with 2 much projecting 2-armed 
placentas, which do not quite meet at the centre; style short or none, 
flattened or conical; stigma linear-oblong, subquadrate, or circular. 
Ovules numerous, biseriate, anatropous, affixed by long funicles to the 
lower part of the placentas, erect or ascending. Fruiting spadix con- 
sisting of the enlarged ovaries more or less agglutinated together. 
Seeds several, small, erect, albuminous; testa thin; embryo seated at 
the base of the albumen.—Evergreen climbers, rooting at the nodes. 
Leaves alternate, entire, perforated, pinnatisect, or pinnatipartite, 
pinnately veined; petioles long, sheathing; primary veins parallel, 
secondary reticulated. Peduncles axillary or subterminal. Spathe 
usually rather large, thick, usually falling off a few hours after expan- 
sion. In all parts of the plant intercellular hairs are present, and in 
the ovary and fruit they are exceedingly abundant. 
Species between 30 and 40, natives of India, the Malay Archipelago and Australia, 
with the following 2 in Africa. 
Stem slender, 4-1 lin. thick ; spathe 7-9 lin. long . 1. R. pusilla, 
Stem stout, 4-3 in. thick ; spathe 34-4} in. long . 2. R. africana. 
1. R. pusilla, V. Z. Br. in Kew Bulletin, 1897, 286. Stem very 
slender, 4-1 lin. thick in the dried state, rooting at the nodes, glabrous. 
Leaves large in proportion to the stem, glabrous ; petiole 4—4# in. long, 
as thick as the stem, sheathing at the base, thickened at the apex ; 
blade spreading nearly at a right angle from the petiole, 5-6} in, long, 
14-1} in. broad, somewhat obliquely lanceolate, entire, tapering from 
about the middle into a long acuminate point, and below the middle to 
a cuneate acute base; lateral veins numerous, parallel, ascending, 
slightly curved. Peduncle 1}~2 in. long, slender, glabrous, enclosed in 
& membranous sheath at its base, and apparently not accompanied by a 
leaf. Spathe 7-9 lin. long, about } in. in diam. in its convolute cylindric 
stage, abruptly terminated by a subulate point, which is about } as 
long as the rest of the spathe ; expanded spathe not seen, very deciduous. 
Spadix sessile, 4-6 lin. long, 2 lin. thick, cylindric, obtuse. Ovary 
imperfectly 2-celled ; stigma sessile, subquadrate, or elongated trans- 
versely to the axis of the spadix. Ovules numerous. 
Lower Guinea. (Gabcon: Sierra del Crystal, Mann, 1700! 
