Rhizome digitiform, canescent-tomentose. Staminate inflorescence clavate, the peduncle 2-5 cm. long, scaly, surrounded at the base by a lobed sheath, the lobes deltoid, 0.5-1.0 cm. long and broad, canescent-tomentose, the scales stiff, ciliate, enclosing the head when immature, lower scales ovate, about 1 cm. long, 5-7 mm. broad, upper scales lanceolate, to 3.5 cm. long, 1 cm. broad, the head ellipsoid, 5-7 cm. long, about 3 cm. in diameter. Staminate flowers based on Brazilian specimens: pedicel 6-10 mm. long; tepals 3 (or 2), free, ovoid, about 3 mm. long, 1.5-2.0 mm. broad, becoming widely reflexed, glabrous; stamens 3, the filaments about 0.5 mm. long, completely connate, the anthers connate below, free above. Pistillate inflorescence generally capitate to clavate, the peduncle and vesture as in the staminate inflorescence, the head subglobose, 2-4 cm. long, 4.5 cm. in diameter. Pistillate flowers: free but tightly agglutinated with one another above due to a waxy secretion; perianth epigynous, connate into a curious tubular or obovoid structure, 1.5-2.5 mm. long, 0.5-0.75 mm. in diameter, surrounding the style and in intimate contact with it, the perianth lobes 2, short; ovary ellipsoid, about 1 mm. long, 0.5 mm. in diameter, the style 1, 0.5-1.5 mm. long, slender, spirally twisted, the stigma minutely capitate. Fruit ellipsoid, about 1 mm. long, 0.5 mm. in diameter.
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Subterranean, rhizome-like tubers 0.7-1.9 cm diam. Supraterranean stems 2-14 cm, with numerous spirally arranged, triangular-lanceolate, scaly leaves 0.4-1.0 x 1.6-3.5 cm. Inflorescences unisexual, not branched; male ones conical, 1.8-3.2 x 2.5-5.0 cm when flowers expanded, female ones hemispherical, 1.7-5.8 x 1.4-3.5 cm. Staminate flowers bracteate, pedicel 6-10 x 1.3 mm; perianth segments 3, valvate; stamens 3, connate into a synandrium. Pistillate flowers linear-prismatic, sessile, ebracteate, densely arranged, 1.5 x 0.25 mm; perianth tubular, irregularly lobed; style 1, exserted.
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