Schismatoglottis pusilla [Engl. ]

Schismatoglottis pusilla

General description:

Small herb c. 15-25 cm tall. Stem hypogeal, ?stoloniferous, ?pleionanthic, condensed. Petiole 6-20 cm long, sheathing in the lower ¼; leaf blade dark green and variegated grey in bivittate or spattered pattern adaxially, abaxially pale, subglaucous, 8-17 cm long × 3-4 cm wide (see note below); posterior lobes narrow, 1-3 cm long, often somewhat out-turned, round-tipped; anterior lobe widest mostly at or slightly distal (rarely proximal) to midway along midrib, acuminate for up to c. 3 cm; midrib with c. 6-10 primary lateral veins on each side diverging at c. 60°, then ascending rather abruptly slightly more than half way towards the margin; interprimaries not strongly differentiated from secondary venation, these together with tertiary venation forming a fine but distinct tessellate pattern abaxially. Inflorescence mostly solitary, rarely 2 together; peduncle short, c. 3 cm long. Spathe (1.8-)2.5-3 cm long, the lower ?-1/2 narrowly obconic, thence the limb inflated, turbinate and distally acuminate, white. Spadix (1-)1.5 cm long, sessile; female zone very slender, c. 6 mm long; ovaries subglobose, c. 0.5 mm diam.; interpistillar staminodes absent; stigma sessile, punctiform; male zone contiguous with female, slightly to rather strongly obconic, c. 6-7 mm long, ½-¾ contained within the lower spathe after limb dropped following female anthesis; appendix c. 4 mm long, bluntly conic to bullet-shaped, about the same width as the top of the male zone; lower appendical staminodes flat-topped, more distal ones becoming pointed. Fruiting spathe asymmetrically urceolate, c. 2 cm long.

General Description Reference:

Hay, A., Yuzammi, 2000. Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) in Malesia: 1. Schismatoglottis. Telopea

Distribution Reference:

Hay, A., Yuzammi, 2000. Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) in Malesia: 1. Schismatoglottis. Telopea

Habitat Reference:

Hay, A., Yuzammi, 2000. Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) in Malesia: 1. Schismatoglottis. Telopea

Distribution:

Malesia: endemic to the Philippines (Luzon, Panay, Catanduanes).

Habitat:

Wet places in forest floor, 350-1000 m alt.

Taxonomy

Taxonomic Notes:

The provenance of the holotype is taken from Engler (loc. cit.). The label does not indicate where the specimen came from at all, though there may have been an additional sheet with more extensive notes which did not survive war-time damage in Berlin.
Most specimens show a great range in leaf size and the leaf dimensions given here are those of the largest leaves on fertile shoots. In many instances the lower leaves are progressively smaller, suggesting that the specimens are seedlings flowering for the first time. It is perhaps curious that this should so frequently be the case.
The holotype is somewhat atypical in the small size of the leaves and the rather reduced hemispheric appendix, in which it approaches S. mindanaoana, to which S. pusilla is evidently allied. Schmatoglottis pusilla is distinguished from it by the larger size, usually conic appendix and terrestrial habit with condensed stem. All specimens have variegated leaves, while those of S. mindanaoana are not variegated. They share the dark green adaxial side of the leaf blade, the sub-glaucous abaxial side and the distinct tessellate pattern formed by the secondary and tertiary venation on the leaf underside; in reproductive features they share, inter alia, the male zone held mostly within the lower spathe and the pointed appendical staminodes.
One duplicate (at K) of Elmer 14594 appears to show a rolled (i.e. new) leaf inserted subsequent to the inflorescence, indicating that renewal growth takes place after flowering and that therefore the stems are pleionanthic. However, the exact relationship of the parts is not entirely clear in the dried and mounted specimen. Other material sheds little light on this matter, which needs further observation.
Since they are deposited in mutually exclusive sets of herbaria, the first two collections listed below would appear to be the same collection with the second and third numerals transposed on some labels. Elmer (loc. cit). cited the first as the basis for of the invalid S. irosinensis.

Taxonomic Notes Reference:

Hay, A., Yuzammi, 2000. Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) in Malesia: 1. Schismatoglottis. Telopea

CATE Araceae

Araceae

Schismatoglottis pusilla Engl.

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