ALOCASIA REGINULA
ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION:
Ab Alocasia melo folii lamina atrovirida haud rugosa, nervis albidis impressis, spathae lamina et appendice valde brevioribus differt
TYPUS: Cult. U.S.A., Florida, Jul 1998, D. Fish s.n. (NSW, holo).
SYNONYMS: N/A
DISTRIBUTION: Believed to have originated in Borneo
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: N/A
SPECIES DESCRIPTION:
Small herb to ca. 25 cm tall; leaves several together; petioles ca. 18 cm long; sheathing in the lower ca. 1/3; blade elliptic to ovate, ca. 15 cm long, 8-11 cm wide, thickly coriaceous, almost completely peltate save for a shallow retuse notch between the tips of the connate posterior lobes, apically acute to obtuse and mucronate for ca. 1 cm, adaxially very dark matt green, abaxially paler and flushed purple; anterior costa with 2-3 primary lateral veins on each side, diverging at ca. 90° (proximal ones) to 45° (distal ones); primary veins adaxially whitish, somewhat impressed, abaxially with inconspicuous axillary glands; secondary venation somewhat impressed adaxially, more or less flush with the lamina abaxially (the larger ones somewhat prominent abaxially in the dry state and adaxially whitish), forming interprimary collective veins towards the margin only; posterior lobes about 2/5 the length of the anterior, with the posterior costae diverging at ca. 30°
INFLORESCENCE:
Inflorescences paired, subtended by short, broad cataphylls; peduncle very short, hidden within cataphyll; spathe ca. 5* cm long, white with scattered purple flecks on the lower part; lower spathe ca. 2.5 cm long, ovoid to subcylindric, separated from limb by a rather weak constriction; limb much reduced, erect even after anthesis, broadly lanceolate, ca. 2 cm long; spadix sessile, somewhat shorter than spathe, ca. 4.5* cm long; female zone about V4 of the length of the spadix; sterile interstice a single whorl of close-packed synandrodia, not attenuated; male zone cylindric, about half the length of the spadix, about 2/5 as wide as long, ivory; synandria with the thecae not overtopped by synconnective; appendix about 1/4 of the length of the spadix, much reduced, narrowly conic; infructescence unknown.
VARIEGATED FORMS: WHITE, YELLOW, GREEN
ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet reginula, originates from the latin regina, meaning ‘little queen’, similar to the several regal epithets that have been used in this group (see Alocasia reginae and Alocasia scabriuscula)
NOTES:
This plant is known only in cultivation, but it is clearly quite distinct from any known species. It exhibits few if any characteristics which might suggest that it is of hybrid origin, and is therefore described here as a new species. The description is based on dried leaves sent to A. Hay by Mr Dewey Fisk (Florida) and based on images found online.
Alocasia reginula is well established in cultivation under the U.S.A. trade-mark cultivar name ‘Black Velvet’, and has been successfully micropropagated by Agristarts
2. The origin oi Alocasia reginula is unclear. Scott Hyndman, who named the cultivar, obtained material from Lyon Arboretum in Hawaii purportedly having been in turn obtained from a Japanese collector in Borneo. In aspect it appears to belong in the Bornean Alocasia scabriuscula group.
CULTIVARS: Alocasia reginula ‘Black Velvet’, Alocasia reginula ‘Black Ninja’, Alocasia reginula ‘Silver Velvet’
HYBRIDS: Alocasia 'Black Dragon (A. baginda 'Silver Dragon' x A. reginula 'Black Velvet'), Alocasia 'Maharani' (Alocasia reginula ‘Black Velvet’ x Alocasia melo), Alocasia 'Regal Shields' (A. reginula ‘Black Velvet’ x A. odora), Alocasia ‘Kalila’ (A. ‘Bisma’ x A. reginula ‘Black Velvet’), Alocasia ‘Ulla’ (A. ‘Bisma’ x A. reginula ‘Black Velvet’)
