Dioecious, perennial, armed (the conical projections soft in the living state). Leaves submerged, filiform, with a dorsal prominent rib, to triangular with short coarse teeth on the ribs, lamina up to 2 m long and 5-15 mm wide. Inflorescence with the spinous scape terete to triangular in cross-section, resemÂbling the leaves; male flower with spathe fusiform, about 35 mm long and 10 mm broad, leathery, with 7-10 spiny ribs, orifice bilobed, perianth-tube exserted for 14-30 mm, outer segments linear-lanceolate, 14 mm long, inner 2-3 cm long, obovate, white with an orange throat, minutely papillate outside, stamens 12, of various lengths; female flower with spathe cylindrical, 45 mm long and 4 mm broad, with about 7 spiny ribs, perianth-tube exserted for about 7 mm from the spathe, Styles 3, short, each with 2 stigmatic arms 12 mm long; stammodes 6, three with long papillate filaments, 3 small, scale-like. Fig. 35 :2.
