homalomena

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|image = Homalomena rubescens (Philippines) 01.jpg

|image_caption = Homalomena rubescens

|display_parents = 2

|taxon = Homalomena

|authority = Schott{{cite POWO |title=Homalomena Schott |id=30057762-2 |access-date=8 September 2024}}

|diversity = c. 160 species

|diversity_link = List of Homalomena species

|synonyms_ref =

|synonyms =

• Chamaecladon Miq.
• Curmeria Linden & André
• Cyrtocladon Griff.
• Diandriella Engl.
• Spirospatha Raf.

}}

Homalomena is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. Homalomena are native to tropical Asia and China.Govaerts, R. & Frodin, D.G. (2002). World Checklist and Bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae): 1-560. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Boyce, P.C. & Wong, S.Y. (2009). Studies on Homalomeneae (Araceae) of Borneo IV: Homalomena specimens in the herbarium Beccarianum-Malesia (FI-B) of the Museo di Storia Naturale - Sezione Botanica "F.Parlatore" dell'Università di Firenze. Webbia; Raccolta de Scritti Botanici 64: 169-173. Many Homalomena have a strong smell of anise. The name derives apparently from a mistranslated Malayan vernacular name, translated as {{Transliteration|ms|homalos}}, meaning flat, and mene = moon.

The plants of this genus are clump-forming evergreen perennials with mainly heart-shaped or arrowheaded shaped leaves. The flowers are tiny and without petals, enclosed in a usually greenish spathe hidden by the leaves.{{Cite web |url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=115676 |title=Flora of China Vol. 23 Page 17, 千年健属 qian nian jian shu, Homalomena Schott in Schott & Endlicher, Melet. Bot. 20. 1832. |access-date=2014-08-16 |archive-date=2013-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015060010/http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=115676 |url-status=live }}

Some authors have proposed splitting the genus and moving all the neotropical species of Homalomena to Adelonema.{{Cite web |url=http://www.aroid.org/genera/generapage.php?genus=homalomena |title=Aroid genera |access-date=2010-03-01 |archive-date=2010-02-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217022911/http://www.aroid.org/genera/generapage.php?genus=homalomena |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.aroid.org/genera/130307uberlist.pdf |title=The Überlist of Araceae, 2013 |access-date=2013-07-05 |archive-date=2013-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705172714/http://www.aroid.org/genera/130307uberlist.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40032219 |title=Tropicos, Missouri Botanical Garden |access-date=2014-08-16 |archive-date=2014-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819094015/http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40032219 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://araceum.abrimaal.pro-e.pl/pages/sys.htm |title=The Systematics of Araceae |access-date=2013-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119023820/http://araceum.abrimaal.pro-e.pl/pages/sys.htm |archive-date=2012-11-19 |url-status=dead }}

File:Homalomena occulta - Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - DSC01251.JPG]]