Cyrtosperma.'] cl. AROiDEiE (brown). 190 



Barter states on bis labels tbat tbe plant grows from 8 to 12 ft. liigli, and that a 

 single spathe and its stem weighs from 10 to 13 pounds. Other collectors give the 

 height as from 6 to 9 ft. 



22. RAPHIDOPHORA, Schott ; Bentb. et Hook f 

 Gen. PI. iii. 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, 1-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 pin nati partite, 

 pinnately veined ; petioles long, sheathing ; primary veins parallel, 

 secondary reticulated. Peduncles axillary or subterminaj. 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, ^-1 lin. thick ; spathe 7-9 lin. long . 1. R. puftilla. 



Stem stout, ^-h in. thick ; spathe 3^-4^ in. long . 2. R. africana. 



1. R. pusilla, N. E. Br. in Keio Bulletin, 1897, 280. Stem very 

 slender, J-1 lin. thick in the dried state, rooting at the nodes, glabrous. 

 Leaves large in proportion to the stem, glabrous ; petiole 4-4 J 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, .")-() ^ in. long, 

 l;|-lj 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 \\-2 in. long, slender, glabrous, enclosed in 

 a membranous sheath at its base, and apparently not accompanied by a 

 leaf. Spathe 7-9 lin. long, about \ in. in diam. in its convolute cylindiic 

 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. 



]«o'wer Guinea. Gaboon : Sierra del Crystal, Mann, 1700 ! 



