Rhaphidophora cryptantha P.C.Boyce & C.M.Allen is a species extraordinary of appearance. It is a neotenic liane. Plants are clinging, unbranched, densely leafy, stems rectangular in cross-section. Leaves are distichous, shingling and ascending on adherent shoots, densely arranged and slightly spreading on free shoots. Leaf lamina are broadly ovate, coriaceous, with primary and secondary venation reticulate, barely visible abaxially, slightly raised and silver-grey adaxialy.
Genus name comes from greek rhaphis, rhaphidos (needle) and pher6 (I bear); refers to the macroscopic (to 1 cm long), needle-like unicellular trichosclereids present in tissues.
Rhaphidophora cryptantha
Name: Rhaphidophora cryptantha P.C.Boyce & C.M.Allen
Type: herbaceous evergreen
Form: scandent chamaephytes
Family: Araceae
Native Range: Papua New Guinea
Zone: 13
Habitat: Not known with certainty. The specimen used to make the type was introduced into cultivation from Lae Botanic Garden and it seems quite possible that it originated in Papua New Guinea.
Height: to 4m
Spread: 10-30cm
Sun: Part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Leaf: Evergreen
Tolerate: Semi ShadeTaxon identifiers: PlantList-ID : kew-177732; Tropicos ID : 50326878; IPNI plant ID : 20001450-1; Global Biodiversity Information Facility ID : 5329650; Encyclopedia of Life ID : 1131882; Plazi ID : BDF08C3F-12F0-D128-45E4-E8CB973F9D07; ZooBank ID for name or act : B981D5B5-F265-43F5-B435-42BA41CFDE2E; WCSPF ID : 177732; Plants of the World online ID : urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:20001450-1; IRMNG ID : 10900096; iNaturalist taxon ID : 431537; CAB ID : 259807; World Flora Online ID : wfo-0000295935
Synonyms: no synonyms recorded