Rhaphidophora
(from rhaphidos, a needle, and phero, to bear; alluding to the needle-like hairs which abound in the intercellular spaces in all parts of the plants). SYN. Raphidophora. ORD. Aroideae (Araceae). A genus comprising about thirty species of slender or robust, climbing, stove shrubs, with very long, rooting branches, natives of tropical Asia, the Malayan Archipelago, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with a few African. Flowers dense, on a sessile, inappendiculate, usually hermaphrodite, thick, cylindrical spadix; spathe thick, boat-shaped, including the spadix, at first oblong and convolute, afterwards opening, often rostrate, marcescent, at length deciduous; peduncles terminal, solitary or many. Leaves distichous, unequilateral, often large, lanceolate or ovate-oblong, entire, perforated, or pinnatifid, rarely pinnatipartite; segments broad at base; petiole short or elongated, long-sheathed. The species described below are those best known to gardeners. A compost of rich loam and fibrous peat, in equal parts, is admirably suited for their culture. The plants should be placed in the border, near a wall or a dead stem of a tree, so that their climbing propensities may be encouraged. A moist atmosphere is essential to success. Propagation may be effected by seed; or by cuttings, inserted in sandy loam and peat, under a hand glass, with bottom heat.
R. decursiva (decurrent). fl., spathe yellowish, pale on the margins, very thick, longer than the petiole; spadix greyishgreen, long and thick. l. oblong, unequally pinnatisect as far as the midrib; segments, on adult leaves, fifteen or more on each side, sub-equal, linear; petioles one-third shorter than the leaves. India, &c., 1859.
R. lancifolia (lance-leaved). fl., spathe apricot-coloured and green-spotted outside, salmon-colour within, 3in. to 4in. long, 2 1/2in. to 3in. wide, ovate, acuminate, open; spadix white, cylindrical, erect, obtuse. l. lanceolate, cuspidate, 9in. to 10in. long, unequal-sided, dark shining green, glabrous. Stem cylindrical. Khasia and Sylhet, 1874. (G. C. 1874, ii. 612.) P. Peepla (Peepla). fl., spathe yellowish outside, reddish-yellow within, ovate-acuminate, shorter than the petiole; spadix yellowish. l. oblong or elliptic-oblong, rounded at base, or cuneate, with a long cuspidate-acuminate apex, acute. East Indies.
R. pertusa (perforated). fl., spathe scarcely equalling the petiole, but exceeding the spadix. l. unequilateral, loosely cordate at base, shortly cuspidate at apex, entire, pertuse, or pinnatifid; petioles about a quarter shorter than the leaves. East Indies.