粉背崖角藤 fen bei ya jiao teng

Pothos glaucus Wallich, Pl. Asiat. Rar. 2: 45. 1831 ["glauca"]; Monstera glauca (Wallich) K. Koch ex Ender; P. wallichii Steudel, nom. illeg. superfl.; Rhaphidophora glauca var. khasiana J. D. Hooker; Scindapsus glaucus (Wallich) Schott.

Lianas, to 10 m, but frequently smaller, slender to rather robust. Stems 0.7-2.5 cm in diam., terete in cross section; climbing stems with internodes elongated and rooting; free lateral stems forming a complex series of branches eventually pendent under their own weight. Leaves scattered, with 1 foliage leaf at each node except for proximal part of a branch where first few nodes possess a prophyll and 1 or more cataphylls instead of foliage leaves; petiole 9-33 cm, shallowly channeled, apical pulvinus indistinct; petiolar sheath reaching base of leaf blade; leaf blade pale to strikingly glaucous green abaxially, dull mid-green adaxially, ovate in outline, ± symmetric, 11.5-42 × 7.5-24 cm, base truncate, oblique, or shallowly cordate, apex acuminate, variously pinnatifid, pinnatipartite, or pinnatisect, depending upon degree of maturity; pinnae 2-5(-8) per side, each pinna with 3 conspicuous primary lateral veins. Inflorescences erect, solitary, arising from tips of free lateral branches; peduncle spreading, apical part curved, 10-25 cm. Spathe opening wide, pale glaucous green in bud, opening pale to mid-yellow, waxy, oblong-ovate, 4.5-8.5 × 0.8-1.3 cm, apex acuminate. Spadix sessile, dull cream-colored, cylindric, 4.5-8.5 cm, 0.8-1.3 cm in diam. at widest point, base slightly tapering, apex truncate-rounded. Stamens 4 per flower; filaments flat, 2.7-3 × 0.8-1.5 mm, not increasing in length at anthesis; pollen simply expelled from between pistils. Pistils 3-5.5 mm, apex 3-4 mm wide, truncate, smooth; stigma flat, circular to elliptic, 0.6-1 mm; ovules numerous, on 2 intrusive parietal placentae. Infructescence 12-15 × 3-3.5 cm when ripe, subtended by persistent withered spathe remains early in development; stylar tissue on ripening falling as irregular plates to expose ovary cavities with seeds embedded in copious, pale orange pulp. Seeds numerous per ovary, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.5-2 × ca. 1 mm. Fl. Aug-Sep.

Montane broad-leaved forests, trees; below 2000 m. SE Xizang (Mêdog, Zayü) [Bangladesh, Bhutan, NE India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, N Thailand].