B. amoeboides

Culture

Original Botanical Description or Link to

Plant a caulescent herb, 40–150 cm high; stem erect, occasionally branching; internodes to 15 cm long, to 8 mm thick, ridged, succulent, dark green to dark red, sparsely to densely pilose; stipules, deciduous lanceolate, 10–40 × 5–10 mm, dark brown to pale green, glabrous, base surrounded by squamose hairs, attenuate, apex acute, margin entire, aciliate. Leaves alternate, spread evenly along stem, more than 5, basifixed; petiole 3.5–13.5 cm long, densely pilose; lamina subsymmetric, straight, reniform, 5.5–11 × 7–16 cm, apex broadly rounded, base truncate to cordate, to 2 cm deep, lobes not overlapping, with 2–8 cusps around the lamina, margin irregularly double-dentate, ciliate, upper surface even, green, sparsely pilose, lower surface even, pale green, sparsely pilose, densely tomentose on veins; venation palmate, 8–12 veins from base. Inflorescence protanderous, axillary, erect, cymose, branching to 3 times, sparsely to densely pilose; peduncle to 10 cm long, internodes to 3 cm long; bracts deciduous, lanceolate to ovate, 6–13 × 3–8 mm, translucent to white, glabrous to sparsely pilose, apex acute, margin ciliate. Staminate flowers: pedicel 8–15 mm; tepals 2, spreading, membranaceous, ovate, 8–18 × 7–15 mm, apex acute, base cordate, margin entire to irregularly serrate, aciliate to ciliate, white or rarely pink, upper surface glabrous, lower surface pilose; stamens 60–100, free, spreading, yellow, filaments 1–1.5 mm, anthers linear, 2–0.8 mm, obtuse, dehiscing through lateral slits, connective projecting to 0.4 mm. Pistillate flowers: pedicels 10–15 mm. bracteoles 3, lanceolate to rounded, 8–10 × 4–6 mm, apex acute, glabrous to short pilose, margin entire, aciliate to ciliate; tepals 5, projecting forwards, deciduous in fruit, membranaceous, lanceolate to ovate, 9–10 × 4–6 mm, apex acute to obtuse, base cuneate, margin entire, aciliate, white or rarely pink, upper surface glabrous, lower surface sparsely pilose; ovary body ovoid, 4–11 × 2–6 mm, sparsely pilose, pale green, unequally 3-winged, wings sparsely pilose, pale green, the largest wing triangular, 4–10 × 2–7 mm, apex truncate and notched, ciliate, margin entire, aciliate, the smaller 2 wings oblong to triangular, 4–9 × 1.5–2.6, margin entire, aciliate; placentae axile, bilamellate, ovuliferous all over; styles 3, deciduous in fruit, 5–6 mm long, irregularly multifid 1 mm from base, branches spreading, spirally twisted. Fruiting pedicel extending to 2.5 cm. Fruit pendulous, ovate, light brown, enlarging to 14×7 mm, the largest wing the same shape as in the ovary, enlarging to 14 × 11 mm, the smallest enlarging to a triangular wing 14 × 9 mm.