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Rather large plant; stems stout, terete. Petiole stout, several mm long, or leaves clasping; blade varying from orbicular to cordate, broadly ovate or rather narrowly elliptical, to 7 x 6 (14 x 11 cm), but commonly smaller; venation clearly palmate at least in broad-leaved forms, midvein not reaching apex. Inflorescence to 5 cm long, when axillary 1-several per axil, often also in terminal, panicle-like compound groups where subtended by scale-leaves; peduncle stout, to 1 cm long but sometimes nearly absent; spikes normally swollen, flowers 30-60 per spike, scale leaves often glabrous. Flowers strongly inclined forward, ca. 0.3 cm long, slightly less than half of which is ovary; petals rather narrow, 0.2 cm long, strongly dimorphic; anthers inserted at or above middle of petals, 2 inner pollen sacs much smaller than outer ones, shortest anther with attenuate connective; style reaching to upper anthers, stigma broadly capitate. Fruit greenish, apparently becoming reddish purple, sometimes with yellow base, ovoid, inclined forward at about 45°.
