Nepal and NE India (type & types of Rhaphidophora affinis, R. eximia, & R. insignis) through Bangladesh and Thailand to SW China, Vietnam and Laos.
","source":"CATE Araceae","sourceTaxonKey":141422491},{"key":465042083,"taxonKey":5329707,"type":"general","language":"eng","description":"Deciduous herb to 1.3 m tall. Subterranean stem a subglobose, stoloniferous tuber, up to 4 cm across and 2 cm high, white, with stolons to 10 × 1 cm. Pseudostem ca 20 cm long, green, mottled grey and pink. Leaf solitary, exceptionally bifoliate; cataphylls to 20 cm long, purple; petiole to 1 m long, similar in colour to the pseudostem; leaf blade radiate; leaflets 7–11, ovate, 10–20 × 4–6 cm, margins entire, apex acute, ending in an acumen 1 cm long, base cuneate and sessile, leaflets plain green, with impressed veins above, underside paler. Inflorescence held below the foliage; peduncle 5–20 cm long, green and pink mottled; spathe tube cylindrical, 4–6 × 1–1.2 cm, green with thin white stripes, spathe mouth margins recurved; spathe limb lanceolate, 5–8 × 3–4 cm, green, flushed red-brown, ending in a long brown tail to 25 cm long; spadix appendix well exserted from the tube, 5–6 cm long × 3–4 mm wide, pale green, stout, cylindrical, ending in a rounded and rugose apex curving forward; sessile, pistillate inflorescences with green bristles above the fertile part; fertile zone staminate or pistillate, cylindrical, 1.5–2 cm long; staminate flowers loosely arranged; pistillate flowers densely arranged; ovaries bottle-shaped, green; stigma sessile, penicillate, white. Infructescence on an erect peduncle, globose, 3–5 cm; fruits red-orange when ripe, 8–10 × 5–7 mm, top rounded, up to 3 seeds per berry. Seeds globose, 3–4 mm diam.
","source":"CATE Araceae","sourceTaxonKey":141422491},{"key":465042084,"taxonKey":5329707,"type":"general","language":"eng","description":"Lianas, very large, to 20m or more, very robust. Stem green at back, yellow at front, robust, 3–5cm in diam., rooting, internodes 1–2cm. Leaves scattered, each foliage leaf separated from next by several (up to 7) cataphyll-bearing nodes; petiole green, cylindric, 20–40cm, shallowly canaliculate; pulvinus indistinct; petiolar sheath extending to ca. 2/3 along petiole; juvenile leaf blade orbicular, ca. 16 × 13cm, margin entire, apex abruptly acute; mature leaf blade pale green abaxially, green adaxially, oblong-ovate, ovate in outline, 60–70[–100] × 40–50cm, base subcordate, margin irregularly and asymmetrically pinnately divided, apex acute; pinnae 9–15 per side, ca. 20 × 3–5cm at mid-leaf, base narrowed, apex truncate with ascending falcate tip, with a strong costa. Inflorescences axillary, solitary; peduncle green, cylindric, very robust, 11–20 × 1.5–3 cm. Spathe initially involute, afterward spreading, yellow on both sides, cymbiform, oblong-ovate, 17–20 × 10–12cm. Spadix sessile, gray-green, cylindric, 15–16 × 2–3cm, base oblique. Filaments flat, ca. 5mm, nearly as long as ovary, base angustate; anthers yellow, oblong, less than 1mm. Ovary hexagonal-conic, ca. 5 × 3mm; style distinct, ca. 1 cm; stigma yellow, longitudinally oblong; ovules many; funicle laterally inserted, slender. Infructescence 15–20 × 5–5.5cm. Berry green-white, base white or yellow, hexagonal-obconic, ca. 18 × 5mm, apex with a persistent style, stylar region green-white, sloughing to reveal white or yellow pulp cavity.
","source":"CATE Araceae","sourceTaxonKey":141422491,"license":"This material was reprinted with permission from the Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, and Science Press, Beijing.
"},{"key":465042085,"taxonKey":5329707,"type":"habitat","language":"eng","description":"Monsoon rain forests, valley evergreen broad-leaved forests, creeping on ground, over rocks, or climbing against trees.
","source":"CATE Araceae","sourceTaxonKey":141422491,"license":"This material was reprinted with permission from the Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, and Science Press, Beijing.
"},{"key":465042086,"taxonKey":5329707,"type":"habitat","language":"eng","description":"Subtropical and warm temperate mixed upper hill to lower montane broad-leaf forest. 350–1800 m asl.
","source":"CATE Araceae","sourceTaxonKey":141422491},{"key":465042087,"taxonKey":5329707,"type":"use","language":"eng","description":"Notes. — Rhaphidophora decursiva is most similar to R. glauca but can be distinguished by its more massive size, by the larger leaves (100 × 50 cm vs. 42 × 24 cm) that are glossy pale green beneath, (vs. glaucous), the leaf divisions reaching the midrib in adult plants such that each pinna is separated from the next by a naked sinus along the midrib, and the larger spadix (15–16 cm vs. 4.5–8.5 cm).
","source":"CATE Araceae","sourceTaxonKey":141422491},{"key":465042088,"taxonKey":5329707,"type":"use","language":"eng","description":"The stems and leaves are used medicinally for treating traumatic injuries, fractures, swellings, colds, lumbago, snake bites, coughs, and bronchitis.
","source":"CATE Araceae","sourceTaxonKey":141422491,"license":"This material was reprinted with permission from the Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, and Science Press, Beijing.
"}]}