Araceae (PDF)

ARACEAE 79florescences solitary or paired; peduncle 8–18 cm, resemblingpetioles, subtended by cataphylls. Spathe 7–17 cm, abruptlyconstricted 1.5–3.5 cm from base; proximal spathe green,ovoid; limb erect, later reflexing, pale green, lanceolate, canoeshaped,5.5–7.5 cm. Spadix somewhat shorter than spathe, 6–13cm, stipitate, stipe whitish, conic, ca. 5 mm; female zone 1–1.5cm; pistil green, subglobose, 1.5–2 mm in diam.; stigma white,subsessile or on a slender style to ca. 0.5 mm, 3- or 4-lobed;sterile zone 7–10 mm, narrower than fertile zones; synandrodesmostly rhombic-hexagonal, flat-topped; male zone ivory, subcylindric,tapered at base, 1.2–2.5 cm × 4.5–8 mm; synandria4–6-merous, ± hexagonal, ca. 2 mm in diam.; appendix paleorange, 3.5–9 cm, subcylindric, tapering to a point. Fruitingspathe glossy green, ovoid, 4–7 cm. Fruit ripening orange-red,globose-ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 × 0.75 cm. Fr. Aug–Oct.Tropical forests, thickets; 100–1000 m. Guangdong, Hainan, SYunnan [Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, S Myanmar, Singapore,Thailand, Vietnam].8. Alocasia acuminata Schott, Bonplandia (Hannover) 7: 28.1859.越 境 海 芋 yue jing hai yuHerbs, terrestrial, small to medium sized, slightly robust,to 75 cm tall, evergreen. Stem rhizomatous, generally elongate,erect, later decumbent, 8–75 × 2–6 cm. Leaves to 5 together,subtended by lanceolate papery-membranous cataphylls; petiolebright green, 15–80 cm, glabrous, sheathing in proximal 1/4;leaf blade spreading, bright green, narrowly hastate-sagittate toovate-hastate, 15–60 × 8–20 cm; posterior lobes 1/4–1/3 lengthof anterior, peltate for 25–30% of their length, acute; anteriorlobe with 3–6 primary lateral veins on each side, axillary glandshardly conspicuous, interprimary collective veins weakly defined.Inflorescences usually solitary; peduncle green, 9–20cm, subtended by cataphylls. Spathe 7–10 cm, moderately constricted1.5–2.5 cm from base; proximal spathe green, ovoid;limb pale green, lanceolate, canoe-shaped, 5.5–7.5 cm. Spadixsubequaling spathe, 6–9.5 cm, sessile; female zone 1–1.5 cm;pistil green, subglobose, 1.5–2 mm in diam.; stigma white, subsessile,very slightly lobed; sterile zone 7–10 mm, narrowerthan fertile zones; synandrodes narrowly rhombic-hexagonal,flat-topped; male zone ivory, subcylindric, 1.2–2.5 cm × 4.5–8mm; synandria 4–6-merous, ± hexagonal, ca. 2 mm in diam.;appendix white, 2.5–3.5 cm, demarcated from male zone bya strong constriction, narrowly conic. Fruiting spathe green,ovoid, 3–4 cm. Fruit ripening orange-red, globose-ellipsoid, ca.0.75 cm in diam.Everwet to seasonal perhumid evergreen forests, usually in deepshade, less often on track sides; 600–1800 m. S Yunnan [Bangladesh,NE India, N Laos, N Myanmar, Nepal, N Thailand, ?N Vietnam].Apiospermum Klotzsch; Kodda-Pail Adanson.26. PISTIA Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 963. 1753.大 漂 属 da piao shuLi Heng ( 李 恒 Li Hen); Peter C. BoyceHerbs, small, free-floating, evergreen, stoloniferous, acaulescent, with spreading feathery roots. Leaves several in a rosette,densely pubescent; petiole very short, almost absent; sheath ligulate, very short, very thin, scarious at base; leaf blade obovate-cuneateto obovate-oblong, somewhat spongy, apex rounded, truncate, or retuse; midrib absent, primary veins subparallel, all arising frombase, diverging slightly and running into margin near apex, strongly prominent abaxially, higher order venation reticulate. Inflorescencesolitary, very small, much shorter than leaves; peduncle very short, pubescent. Spathe somewhat constricted centrally, pubescentoutside, glabrous inside, proximal margins connate with each other and with ovary wall forming tube, free margins between tubeand blade folded between stigma and male organs forming a partition between a distal male partial chamber and a proximal femaleone; limb erect, ovate, expanded, acute-acuminate. Spadix shorter than spathe, mostly adnate to spathe, only apical male zone free;female zone with single gynoecium at base and a thin, green, pouch-shaped flap just below spathe partition; male zone subtended bya thin, marginally lobed, green, annular flap, consisting of a basally naked spadix axis supporting a single whorl of 2–8 flowers,naked axis sometimes extending slightly beyond. Flowers unisexual, naked. Gynoecium obliquely adnate to spadix axis; ovaryovoid, 1-loculed; ovules numerous, orthotropous; placenta broad, apparently parietal, probably morphologically basal; stylar regionattenuate, bending inward toward male flowers; stigma disciform-subcapitate, small. Male flower a synandrium consisting of 2 connatestamens; thecae dehiscing by single apical slit. Fruit a thin-walled, utricular, several-seeded, ellipsoid berry, irregularly breakingup and decaying to release seeds. Seed barrel-shaped, ± subtruncate and excavated at apex and base; testa thick, reticulate-alveolate,thicker and with operculum at micropylar end; embryo obovoid to conic; endosperm copious.One species: widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, including China.1. Pistia stratiotes Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 963. 1753.大 漂 da piaoApiospermum obcordatum Klotzsch, nom. illeg. superfl.;Pistia obcordata Schleiden, nom. illeg. superfl.Morphological characters are the same as those of thegenus. Plants aquatic, floating. Roots many, pendulous in water,feathery. Leaves in rosettes, 1.3–10 × 1.5–6 cm. Spathe white,5–12 mm. Fl. May–Nov.Water fields, lakes, ponds. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Taiwan,Yunnan; cultivated in Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shandong,Sichuan [tropical and subtropical regions worldwide].The plants are cultivated for animal feed and are used to treatswelling and urinary tract infections.