ALOCASIA PELTATA
ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION:
Alocasia peltata M. Hotta, Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 22 (1967) 156, fig. 5, AE.
Type: Borneo, Sarawak, Bintulu, eastern ridge of Bukit Kana, 20 Nov 1963, M. Hirano & M. Hotta 1464 (KYO, holo, n.v.)
Alocasia peltata var. muluensis M. Hotta, op. cit.: 158, fig. 5, F.
Type: Borneo, Sarawak, Mardi, Gunung Mulu, 16 Mar 1964, M. Hotta 14513 (KYO, holo, n.v.).
[Alocasia beccarii sensu auct. non Engl.: Ridl., J. Straits Br. Roy. Asiat. Soc. 44 (1905) 179 & 49 (1907) 48; Engl. & K. Krause,Pflanzenr. 71 (IV.23E) (1920) 95, pro parte quoad specim. cit. Ridley s.n., Sarawak, Matang.]
Photo by @dhimaspinasthika
SYNONYMS: N/A
DISTRIBUTION: Borneo, scattered localities in Sarawak, Brunei, and central Kalimantan.
CLIMATE: Tropical 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 mossy forest floor on ridges at ca. 1200 m altitude.
SPECIES DESCRIPTION:
Small herb to ca. 30 cm tall; stem more or less elongate, slender, sprawling, with internodes to 2 cm long; leaves several along the stem, regularly alternating with papery membranous lanceolate cataphylls to 4 cm long; petiole to 16 cm long, sheathing in the lower VlO; blade narrowly elliptic to oblong ovate, 12 x 3 - 28 x 10 cm, peltate, somewhat to thickly leathery, glossy green or suffused purple adaxially, paler abaxially, drying with the venation somewhat to markedly impressed adaxially; anterior lobe 9-12 cm long, widest more or less level with petiole insertion, the tip acuminate for 1.5 cm: anterior costa with two primary lateral veins on each side (subopposite) diverging at ca. 60° and running straight or somewhat upcurved into a conspicuous intramarginal vein (2-)3-6 mm from the margin; secondary venation not forming interprimary collective veins, inconspicuous to invisible in thickly leathery forms; posterior lobes completely united or with a slight retuse notch, 3-6 cm long, together cuneate, ultimately truncate
INFLORESCENCE:
Inflorescence solitary; peduncle about half as long as to equaling the petiole; spathe ca. 5 cm long, green; lower spathe narrowly ovoid, ca. 2 cm long; limb lanceolate, ca. 3 cm long, separated from the lower spathe by a weak constriction; spadix somewhat shorter than the spathe, to 3 cm long, stipitate for 2 mm; female zone 4 mm long; pistils few - ca. 12, 2 mm long, flask-shaped, more or less acroscopic; style distinct, almost 1 mm long; stigma weakly 2-3-lobed; sterile interstice a single inconspicuous whorl of synandrodia, not attenuate; male zone fully within the lower spathe, ca. 9 mm long, ca. 3 mm diam. at base, tapering to ca. 1 mm diam. at junction with appendix and corresponding with spathe constriction; synandria 3-merous, with anthers only dorsally, not laterally connate; thecae opening by apical pores not concealed by synconnective; appendix white, 1.5 cm long (much reduced in Biirtt & Woods 2121), narrowly spindle-shaped, ca. 2 mm wide at widest; fruiting spathe obovoid, with the peduncle elongating; fruits red-orange.
VARIEGATED FORMS: N/A
ETYMOLOGY:
NOTES: This species rather closely resembles Sumateran Alocasia kerinciensis , sharing the pronounced intramarginal vein and regularly alternating foliage leaves and cataphylls, and the (usually) elongate stem with internodes longer than wide. It differs in the more slender leaves and spathe, the more elongate appendix, the male zone entirely within the lower spathe, the less robust synandria and longer pistils.
Hotta (loc. cit.) distinguished the variety muluensis on the basis of slightly smaller leaf size and longer peduncle. The material he described was in various stages post anthesis, and it appears that the peduncle continues to elongate as the fruits ripen. I (A. Hay) am doubtful that the lower and upper leaf length extremes of 21 cm and 19 cm that he cites respectively for the typical and segregate varieties can be viewed as sufficiently significant to warrant their recognition.
Other specimens seen: SARAWAK: Bakelalan, Brooke 10559 (US); 4th Div., G. Mulu. Burn & Woods 2121 (E); Matang, Ridley s.n. (SING). BRUNEI: Temburong, valley N of Pagon Ridge, Wong & Weber Booth 1903 (K). KALIMANTAN: Central Kalimantan, Bukit Raya, SE side, ca. 10 km NNW^ of Tumbang Tosah, Mogea 3856 (BO. K. KEP).
CULTIVARS: Alocasia peltata ‘Silver Grey’
HYBRIDS: N/A
