A genus of approximately 19 species in the Araceae endemic to tropical and southeastern subtropical Africa. Plants are seasonally dormant growing from an underground vertical rhizome with thickened spindle-shaped fleshy roots. Leaves solitary to several, leaf blades lanceolate or cordate-sagittate to hastate-sagittate. Inflorescences 1 to many, appearing before or with the leaves and borne at or below ground level. Spathe narrowly cylindric or conic. Spadix usually shorter than spathe. Infructescence borne at or below ground level, globose to cylindric, berries 1 to many seeded. Seeds ovoid-ellipsoid.
Stylochaeton puberulus is native to Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia growing in open woodlands and wooded grasslands. Flowers appear just before the start of the rains with the infructescence ripening approximately 9 months later. Leaves emerge with the start of the rains. Photos by Nicholas Wightman of plants naturally occurring in Lilayi, Zambia.
