Stylochaeton Lepr. is 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 are solitary to several, leaf blades lanceolate or cordate-sagittate to hastate-sagittate. Inflorescences are 1 to many, appearing before or with the leaves and borne at or below ground level. The spathe is narrowly cylindric or conic and the spadix is usually shorter than the spathe. The infructescence is borne at or below ground level, globose to cylindric, berries one to many seeded. Seeds are ovoid-ellipsoid.
Stylochaeton puberulus N.E.Br. is native to Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia where it grows 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. Height: to about 60 cm. Photos by Nicholas Wightman of plants naturally occurring in Lilayi, Zambia.
