曲苞芋 qu bao yu

Caladium pumilum D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 21. 1825; Colocasia pumila (D. Don) Kunth; Gonatanthus pumilus (D. Don) Engler & K. Krause; G. sarmentosus Klotzsch; Remusatia garrettii Gagnepain.

Tuber yellowish brown outside, globose, 1-2.5 cm in diam.; bulbiferous stolons spreading, creeping, slender, branched; bulbils many, covered by brown scales; bristles filiform, hooked. Leaves 3 or 4; petiole green, cylindric, 15-40 cm, proximal 1/4-1/3 sheathing; leaf blade dull green on both surfaces, areas between primary veins sometimes purple abaxially and/or adaxially, ovate to oblong-ovate, 8-23.5 × 7-14.5 cm, papery, base peltate and shallowly cordate, apex acute or slightly acuminate, sinus 5-45 mm; primary veins 4 or 5 on each side, radiating from petiole and pinnately from midrib of main lobe, secondary venation pinnate from primary veins, fine intramarginal vein present. Inflorescence solitary, flowering when leaves develop; peduncle green, 6-10 cm. Spathe tube green, narrowly ovoid, 12-15 × ca. 10 mm; limb semispreading to erect, yellow or yellow-green on both surfaces, elongate, 13-21 cm, membranous; proximal part of limb separated into 2 parts by a constriction; proximal part subglobose, 1.5-2.5 cm, opening to reveal male zone of spadix; distal part narrowly lanceolate, 11.5-21 cm × 6-15 mm, apex long acuminate, fully opening only for a short time (less than 3 or 4 hours). Spadix sessile; female zone 5.5-7.5 × 3.5-4.5 mm; ovary green; ovules many, oblong, basal; stigma sessile; sterile zone yellow, 4-5 mm, slender; sterile flowers rhombic or oblong, flat; male zone violet, clavate, ca. 10 × 4 mm; synandria 0.6-1 mm in diam.; filaments ca. 0.7 mm. Fl. May-Jul. 2n = 28.

Dense evergreen forests, on damp mossy rocks, trees, and banks; 1000-2800 m. S Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Nepal, N Thailand].

This species is readily distinguished from the other three species by the spathe limb being constricted above the spadix as well as between the female and male zones forming a chamber enclosing the male zone of the spadix.