Araceae

Montrichardia Crueg.

First published in Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 12: 25 (1854), nom. cons.
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical America.

Descriptions

CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011. araceae.e-monocot.org

General Description
HABIT : robust to sometimes gigantic arborescent evergreen herbs, stem erect, multiplying at base from hypogeal rhizomes, internodes well-developed, smooth or aculeate, ± slender to massive. LEAVES : several, borne in terminal crown. PETIOLE : sheath half as long as petiole or longer, with free apical ligule. BLADE : cordate-sagittate to sagittate, hastate to trifid, rarely trisect, posterior divisions often longer than anterior division; basal ribs well-developed, primary lateral veins pinnate, running into marginal vein, secondary laterals ± parallel-pinnate, higher order venation reticulate. INFLORESCENCE : 1(-2) in each floral sympodium. PEDUNCLE : shorter than petiole. SPATHE : erect, thick, entirely deciduous after anthesis, ± constricted between tube and blade, tube convolute, blade longer than tube, widely gaping at anthesis, ± boat-shaped. SPADIX : erect, subequal to spathe, female zone cylindric, male zone subconoid, contiguous with and much longer than female zone, fertile to apex. FLOWERS : unisexual, perigone absent. MALE FLOWER : 3-6-androus, stamens free, obpyramidal-prismatic, truncate at apex, anthers sessile, connective thick, overtopping thecae, thecae oblong-ellipsoid, dehiscing by longitudinal slit. POLLEN : inaperturate, spherical to subspheroidal, large (mean 94 µm., range 92-96 µm.), exine psilate. FEMALE FLOWER : gynoecia prismatic-cylindric, ovary 1-locular, ovules 1-2, anatropous, funicle short, placenta subbasal to basal, stylar region prismatic, thick, excavated and rugulose at apex, stigma small, on low central boss, irregular to elliptic or roundish. BERRIES : free, large, subcylindric, somewhat compressed, pericarp spongiose, at apex excavated and radiately furrowed, 1-seeded. SEED : large, obovoid to ellipsoid, testa smooth or rough, brown, embryo large, endosperm absent.
Distribution
Trop. America.
Diagnostic
Robust to gigantic, rhizomatous helophytes forming large colonies along rivers with erect aerial stems and well-developed internodes sometimes bearing prickles; leaves borne in apical crown; leaf blade cordate-sagittate to hastate (rarely trisect), fine venation reticulate; spadix fertile to apex, male and female zones contiguous; flowers unisexual, perigone absent; stamens free; berries furrowed and excavated at apex, seeds large, brown.
Habitat
Tropical humid forest; helophytes in tranquil freshwater habitats, forming dense, often extensive stands along river margins.
[CATE]

Sources

  • CATE Araceae

    • Haigh, A., Clark, B., Reynolds, L., Mayo, S.J., Croat, T.B., Lay, L., Boyce, P.C., Mora, M., Bogner, J., Sellaro, M., Wong, S.Y., Kostelac, C., Grayum, M.H., Keating, R.C., Ruckert, G., Naylor, M.F. and Hay, A., CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0