Piptospatha perakensis
Distribution Reference:
Ecology Reference:
Distribution:
S Peninsular Thailand and Malay Peninsula.
Ecology:
Rheophytic on granite boulders in streams and by waterfalls and stream banks; altitude: 100- ca. 1,400 m asl.
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Araceae
Piptospatha perakensis (Engl.) Ridl.
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Piptospatha perakensis
General description:Rheophytic herb 10-40 cm tall. Stem short, condensed, 2-4 cm long, 0.7-1 cm diam.; roots thick, extensive and tough, 1.5-2 mm diam., with many thinner roots of second order. Leaves few to several together; petiole 6-15 cm long, 1.5-2 mm diam., canaliculate on upper side, sheathing only at the extreme base, the wings extended into a narrow ligular portion 3-7 cm long; blade coriaceous, adaxially dark mid-green, paler abaxially, elliptic (to oblong elliptic) 10-26 cm long × 1.5-7 cm wide, the base cuneate, the apex acute and shortly apiculate for 1-1.5 mm, the margin weakly to strongly crispate especially in the distal part; midrib and primary venation very prominent abaxially, drying pale orange to straw-coloured; primary lateral veins 5-8(-10) on each side of the midrib, diverging at c. 45°, running to a thick marginal vein; secondary venation distinctly finer than primaries. Inflorescence solitary (sometimes 2-3 in series but alternating with foliage leaves); peduncle erect, 3-16 cm long. Spathenodding at anthesis, narrowly ovoid, c. 3 cm long, apically beaked for c. 4 mm, cream to greenish, the upper part caducous. Spadix c. 2 cm long, shortly stipitate with the stipe adnate to the spathe; female zone subcylindric, c. 0.7 cm long × 0.5 cm diam.; pistils more or less ovoid, c. 0.5 mm diam.; stigma sessile, thickly discoid, about as broad as the ovary (dry), papillate, not contiguous with neighbouring stigmas (dry); interpistillar staminodes confined to a small group or irregular whorl at the base of the female zone, stipitate, flat-topped, about as high as the pistils, c. 0.5 mm diam.; sterile interstice absent; male zone fertile to apex, bluntly ellipsoid-subcylindric, c. 1 × 0.5 cm; stamens truncate, more or less flat-topped (somewhat rounded), narrowly rectangular-elliptic from above, mostly in closely appressed pairs, the anther finely and densely pubescent, c. 0.8 mm across. Fruiting spathe obconic, green; berries yellowish when ripe, in a more or less hemispherical group c. 1.5 cm diam., obovoid, 2.2-2.4 mm long × 1.5 mm diam., with persistent stigma remnant apically; seeds several, subcylindric, c. 1-1.2 mm long; testa slightly ribbed, brown, with a prominently curved micropylar appendage.
Distribution Reference:Habitat Reference:Distribution:Southern Thailand to West Malesia. In Malesia: Malay Peninsula.
Habitat:Rheophytic on boulders in streams and by waterfalls and stream banks, 100-c. 1400 m alt.
Reproduction: -
Piptospatha perakensis
General description:Deciduous herb to 1.8 m tall. Subterranean stem a subglobose tuber, 2–6 × 4–12 cm, cream. Pseudostem 40–110 cm long, plain green or with brown mottling. Leaves 1–2; cataphylls to 20 cm long, pink and brown mottled; petiole to 60 cm long, similar in colour to the pseudostem; leaf blade radiate; leaflets 7–22, ovate, 15–25 × 2–5 cm, margins undulate, apex acuminate, ending in a red-brown thread to 7 cm long, base cuneate, sessile or subsessile, leaflets plain green, sometimes with a paler midrib, underside glaucous. Inflorescence carried below the foliage; peduncle to 10 cm long, green or red-brown; spathe tube cylindrical, 5–10 × 2–4 cm, outside green with paler stripes, inside sometimes with carmine stripes, mouth margins widely recurved and more or less red-brown stained; spathe limb horizontal, ovate, 7–12 × 4–8 cm, outside green, flushed red-brown, inside pale green, tip ending in an acuminate, slender tail 10–35 cm long, this green or brown; spadix appendix exserted from the tube, ca 10 × 1.0–1.5 cm, stout, cylindrical, apex rounded, with a fluted middle part, light green, sessile or subsessile, with bristles inserted above the fertile part; fertile zone staminate or pistillate, exceptionally bisexual, slightly conical, to 5 × 2 cm; staminate flowers loosely arranged, 2–4-androus, anthers carmine, subsessile or sessile; thecae dehiscent by a rounded or oblong pore; pistillate flowers densely arranged; ovaries bottle-shaped, green; stigma apiculate, white. Infructescence on a nodding peduncle, conical, 6–12 × 3–6 cm; fruits red-orange when ripe, sometimes with a black annulus at apex, to 10 × 6 mm, apex rounded, up to 6 seeds per berry. Seeds globose, 2–6 mm diam.
Distribution Reference:Habitat Reference:Distribution:Peninsular Thailand and Malay Peninsula (type).
Habitat:Rheophytic on granite boulders in streams, stream banks, and by waterfalls.