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Season and dispersal
All three species flower from (October-) December to February, during the dry season. They are inhabitants of small or larger rivers and streams where they are submerged part of the year. At falling waters the long tube of the spathe ensures that the opening of the spathe reaches up above the water surface. Later on in the season, many of the plants near and on the river banks are completely emerse. After pollination, the fruit increases in size for the first few months and stays (mostly) hidden beneath the surface of the soil for about 3/4 of a year. At maturity the peduncle elongates 3 to 10 cm within about a week, the syncarpium rises above the surface of the soil, opens, and disperses the seeds (Fig. 33). The seeds are coated with a thin layer of a waxy appearance, which makes them float for a short time if liberated in water. This mechanism may serve to disperse the seeds only at falling waters, so that they do not travel too far, and may ensure that they are distributed below and near "normal" high water level.
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