Araceae
Stylochiton

Stylochiton hypogeus Lepr.

First published in Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 2, 2: 185 (1834)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. Tropical Africa to Ethiopia. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Habitat
Savanna.
Distribution
Upper Guinea. Senegambia: on sand-hills, in the districts of Cayor, Oualo and Cape Verd, Leprieur.
General Description
Rhizome horizontal, about 1/2 in. thick, fleshy, with thick fleshy simple roots. LEAVES 5-8 to a plant, contemporary with the flowers; petiole 3-6 in. long, yellowish-green spotted with purplish-violet, the sheathing part subterranean; blade hastate or hastate-sagittate, as long as the petiole; front lobe oblong-lanceolate, acuminate; basal lobes somewhat spreading, oblong acute, about 1/3 as long as the first lobe. INFLORESCENCE: Spathe very shortly pedunculate, arising from the rootstock by the side of the leaves, 2 in. long; tube subterranean, cylindric, slightly inflated at the base; limb ovoid, acute, with a narrow mouth on one side. Spadix shortly protruding from the mouth of the spathe. Female flowers 6-9 or more (in one cycle?), adnate to the base of the spadix, connate. Perianth adnate to the apex of the ovary (?), with a short free oblique urceolate limb. Ovary inferior (?); style moderately slender, much exserted, erect, "articulated" (thickened) below the middle. Fruit subterranean, consisting of the connate ovaries, fleshy, included in the dilated base of the spathe.
Diagnostic
Inflorescence and leaves present at the same time; spathe 2 inches long.
[CATE]

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

Diagnostic
S. kerensis has sometimes been confused with the W African S. hjpogaeus Lepr. (1834) which has narrower leaves, is usually taller and has a shorter spadix compared to the spathe. Ovary adnate to the perianth. Lateral leaf lobes 2.5-3.5 cm long, separated by an oblong to wide sinus.
General Description
Rhizome fleshy, articulate, branched. LEAVES: petiole about 10-20 cm long, sheathed at least to the middle, sheath with purple bands above ground; blade hastate to hastate-sagittate, central lobe 7-10 x 1.8-2.5 cm, lateral (basal) lobes 2.5-3.5 x 1-2 cm. INFLORESCENCE below ground: peduncle 0.6-1.2 cm long, cataphylls 3-4. Spathe with a subterranean tube 3-3.5 cm long and a boat-shaped blade opening only by a lateral slit, c 1.2 cm long, leathery. Spadix about as long as spathe or slightly longer. Female flowers: 5, perianth obliquely urn-shaped, c 7 mm long, joined to the axis for nearly all its length; style c 3 mm long, incurved; stigma discoid. Male flowers: perianth cup-shaped, 0.5-0.8 mm long; filaments filiform c 0.5 mm long. FRUIT not known.
Habitat
Habitat unknown.
Distribution
Sudan, Ethiopia.
[CATE]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • 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