ALOCASIA CLYPEOLATA
ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION:
Ab aliis speciebus Alocasiis Philippinarum lamina folii parva ovata vel subrotunda valde peltata differt.
TYPUS: Philippines, Mindanao, Surigao Province, Mt Kabatuan, 18 Mar 1949, Mendoza & Convocar PNH 10433 (GH holo, 2 sheets).
SYNONYMS: Alocasia ‘Green Shield’, Alocasia ‘Green Cuprea’ (though it bears no connection to Alocasia cuprea)
DISTRIBUTION: Philippines & Lesser Sundan Islands.
Alocasia clypeolata, like many of the Philippine species shows high variability across geographies. It appears that primary vein count increases as one goes North.
CLIMATE: Subtropical humid climate
Humidity is moderate throughout the year, ranging from 60% to 70%
Temperature is varies between the seasons - within the range of 48°F/9°C to 88°F/31°C during the day. Minimum temperatures never dip below 45°F/7°C
Rainy and humid season (October to May) and a dry season between June and October. The average annual rainfall is 1,200 mm
ECOLOGY: In rocky soil on a steep slope on forest edge, 80 m altitude.
SPECIES DESCRIPTION:
Small herb to ca. 30 cm tall; stem short, ca. 5 cm long x 2 cm diam. (dry); leaves ca. 6 together; petiole ca. 17 cm long, sheathing in the lower quarter; blade weakly coriaceous, darker near the main veins, ovate to very broadly ovate, 16 x 6.5 cm to 12 x 8 cm; anterior lobe 7-11 cm long, widest ca. quarter of the way from the base, the tip acute to obtuse and then apiculate; anterior costa with 3 primary lateral veins on each side diverging at 45-60°; secondary venation forming irregular interprimary collective veins in the proximal part of the blade, these not formed in the distal portions; all venation flush with the lamina on both sides (dry); posterior lobes ca. 4 cm long, peltate for more than 80% of their length, with the posterior costae subparallel
INFLORESCENCE:
Inflorescences paired amongst the leaves, subtended by oblong lanceolate cataphylls to ca. 5 cm long; peduncle much shorter than the petioles, ca. 5 cm long; spathe white, ca. 6 cm long; lower spathe ca. 1.8 cm long, ovoid; spathe limb broadly lanceolate ca. 4.2 cm long x 1.8 cm wide at the base, at male anthesis with the lower ca. 1 cm sharply reflexed and the rest erect; spadix more or less equalling the spathe, stipitate for ca. 2 mm; female zone subcylindric, ca. 1 cm long x ca. 6 mm diam.; ovaries globose, ca. 1.2 mm diam.; style shorter than ovary, ca. 0.5 mm long; stigma rounded and weakly lobed; sterile interstice ca. 6 mm long x 3 mm diam., composed of rhomboid synandrodia ca. 1.3 mm diam.; male zone 1 cm long x 4 mm diam., subcylindric, narrowed at the base and apex, the base corresponding with the spathe constriction; synandria rhombo-hexagonal, ca. 1 mm diam., of 3-4 connate stamens; thecae opening by apical pores not overtopped by the synconnective; appendix ca. 3 cm long, tapering to a point, covered in low, elongate sinuous irregular sterile organs; infructescence with short peduncle; fruiting spathe subglobose, ca. 2.5 x 1.5 cm
VARIEGATED FORMS: N/A
ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet comes from the Latin clypeus, shield, alluding to the leaves being shaped like small shields
NOTES:
A visual summary of leaf traits that varry across geographies. Specimens A, H, & I have prominent contrasting veins while the rest show little to no contrast.
Specimens B & C from Samar Isl. in particular have no visible contrast at all.
Specimens B & J differ in having marked petioles, while the rest are plain green or unmarked.
The majority of specimens have 6 primary veins, with some going as high as 10 and some as low as 3
Blue- Overlaps with the standard trait for Alocasia clypeolata
Green- Almost resembles the standard Alocasia clypeoalta
Yellow- Does not resemble the standard trait
Specimens from the blue coded localities within Mindanao (Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, & Agusan del Sur) were the standards chosen, as the original description for Alocasia clypeolata was from Mt. Kabatuan in Surigao del Norte (despite that, the holotype does not closely resemble the clone in cultivation in terms of shape, primary vein count, and color).
Live specimens from Agusan del Norte and Sur more closely resemble the Alocasia clypeolata in cultivation (coloration is similar, visible vein contrast, matching vein count).
CULTIVARS: N/A
HYBRIDS: N/A
REFERENCES:
Charlie Moonshade (leaf mapping, detailed descriptions by locality, and in situ examples)
