ALOCASIA BALGOOYI
ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION:
Ab Alocasia macrorrhizos (L.) G. Don costis posticis haud vel vix nudis, spathae lamina coriacea breviore, inflorescentia femina et interstitio neutro longioribus tenuioribus, synandriis minoribus, spatha fructifera rubra differt.
TYPUS: Indonesia, South Sulawesi, Soroako, Malih Road, 29 Jun 1979, M. van Balgooy 3812 (BO, holo; GH, K, L, iso).
SYNONYMS: N/A
DISTRIBUTION: Indonesia | Sulawesi
CLIMATE: Equatorial lowland humid forest
Humidity is consistently high in the lowlands ranging from 80% to 90%
Temperature is relatively uniform throughout the year - within the range of 73°F/23°C early in the morning to 90°F/32°C during the day. Minimum temperatures in the lowland areas don’t generally dip below 68°F/20°C
The average rainfall per year is between 3,300 millimetres and 4,600 millimetres, depending on locality.
ECOLOGY: Like Alocasia melo, Alocasia balgooyi shows a rather strong associationg with ultramafic substrates. Low to mid-elevation forests, sometimes in swamp forest (Kjellberg 2396), or on slopes, often in disturbed places and on ultrabasic soils; sea level to 1200 m altitude.
SPECIES DESCRIPTION:
Robust to massive herb 1-3 m tall; rhizome stout (?diam.), clothed in fibrous leaf base remains; leaves several together; petiole ca. 70-100 cm (?or more) long, glabrous, sheathing in the lower 1/3-1/2; blade broadly ovato-sagittate to cordato-sagittate, ca. 50-100 cm long, membranous; anterior lobe widest slightly above the base, the apex obtuse and apiculate; anterior costa with 5 (?or more) primary lateral veins on each side diverging at 45-70°; axillary glands inconspicuous; secondary venation not or hardly raised abaxially, not or hardly forming interprimary collective veins; posterior lobes 1/2-3/4 the length of the anterior, obtuse, the inner sides ovate to more or less rhomboid;
INFLORESCENCE:
Inflorescences in pairs interspersed with foliage leaves; peduncle ca. 30 cm long; spathe ca. 17-20 cm long, constricted 3-4 cm from the base with the constriction corresponding with the sterile interstice of the spadix; lower spathe narrowly ovoid to ovoid, thick; limb oblong-lanceolate, coriaceous, erect and later reflexed and somewhat persistent, thence deciduous, greenish cream; spadix somewhat shorter than to subequalling the spathe, ca. 14 cm long, stipitate for ca. 4 mm and the stipe inserted obliquely; female zone 2 cm long, ca. 5 mm wide; pistils close-packed, globose-cuboid, ca. 2 mm diam.; stigma sessile, bluntly 3- lobed, ca. 1 mm diam.; sterile interstice 1-1.5 cm long, distinctly attenuate, ca. 3 mm thick, composed of numerous small synandrodia resembling the synandria; male zone 3-4 cm long , cylindric, 5-6 mm diam., cylindric; synandria very numerous, small, ca. 1 mm diam.; thecae overtopped by synconnective; appendix 4-5.5 cm long , slightly narrower than the male zone, deeply longitudinally channeled, tapering to a point; fruiting peduncle to ca. 50 cm long; fruiting spathe broadly ovoid to spindle-shaped, 6-12 cm long, creamish green, becoming bright red.
VARIEGATED FORMS: N/A
ETYMOLOGY: The species is named in honor of Dr. Max M. J. van Balgooy, a Dutch specialist of the SE Asian flora
NOTES: The description is pieced together from fragmentary dry specimens. This species appears at least superficially similar to Alocasia macrorrhizos, though clearly differing in the leaves with the posterior costae usually not naked in the sinus, the thick and relatively short spathe limb, longer peduncle, the relatively longer and narrower female and sterile zones of the spadix, the smaller and more numerous synandrodia and synandria, and the red fruiting spathe.
Other specimens seen: SULAWESI: Menado, Poso, above baroega S. Malei, Eyma 1670 (BO, L); nr Malino, Eyma 3460 (BO, L); Malili, Kjellberg 2396 (BO) & 2116 (BO); Matamo Lake nr Soroako, NE of Malili, Meijer 11120 (BO); Larona, W of Towuti lake, E of Malili, Meijer 11298 (BO); N Sulawesi, Dumoga Bone National Park, Gorontalo Distr., Sg. Olama below G. Gambuta, Millikin 976 (K); Tangguma, Poli-polia, Kolaka, Prawiroatmodjo & Maskuri 1530 (BO); N shore of Lake Matano, E of Nuha, de Vogel 5840 (K).
CULTIVARS: N/A
HYBRIDS: N/A
