Schismatoglottis gampsospadix [P.C. Boyce & S.Y. Wong ]

Schismatoglottis gampsospadix

General description:

Small mesophytic herbs with leaves in dense rosettes along a sub-epigeal rhizome-like stem. Stem (in nature) rhizome-like, in cultivation remaining erect, ca 25 cm tall. Leaves appressed to the ground, up to 10 per module; petioles up to 4 cm long, sheathing for ca ¼ of their length, spreading, petiole above the petiolar sheath stoutly crispulate, petiole dull dark green; petiolar sheath persistent, open, tips extended into unequal ligules, the longer ca 1.5 cm long, rounded auricle; blade 8-11 × 3-7 cm; fleshy, broadly elliptic, base cordiform, apex rounded, medium to deep semi-glossy green adaxially, matte pale green abaxially; midrib conspicuous, bluntly raised adaxially, rounded-raised abaxially; primary lateral veins about 5 per side, weakly impressed adaxially, slightly raised abaxially; interprimary and higher order veins more-or-less invisible. Inflorescences solitary; peduncle stout, ca 1 cm long × 3 mm wide, not emerging from the sheath, pale green; spathe hardly constricted, strongly curved forwards; lower spathe broadly globose-ellipsoid, ca 1.7 cm long × 1.5 cm wide, thinly fleshy, white; spathe limb triangular, fornicate, ca 3 cm long × 1.5 cm wide, rather fleshy, spathe limb inflating and opening by a narrow slit at pistillate anthesis, gaping and remaining fornicate at onset of staminate anthesis, then the margins deliquescing and drying-marcescent, limb white, all except the marcescent margins persisting into at least early fruiting (observations wanting). Spadix sub equalling the spathe, sessile; pistillate flower zone ca 1/5 the length of the spadix, ca 5 × 5 mm; pistils dense, ovoid, ca 1 × 0.6 mm, bright green; style nipple-like, much narrower than the ovary; stigma capitate, greyish white, papillate at pistillate anthesis; interpistillar staminodes very conspicuous below the pistillate zone, oblong, with the long sides perpendicular to the spadix axis, ca 3 mm long × 1.5 mm wide, waxy white; staminate flower zone contiguous with the pistillate flower zone, ca 1.5 cm × 4 mm, curving-cylindrical, ivory; staminate flowers tiny, (<0.3 mm), probably mainly 2-staminate, but chaotically arranged and some seemingly forming lines of up to 10 stamens, lowermost staminate flowers somewhat irregularly scattered, those further up very dense; stamens elongate-globose, connective embedded and ± invisible; thecae opening by a two coalesced pores; appendix ca 1.5 cm long, very slightly wider than the staminate flower zone, curving, blunt-tipped, covered with very many tiny (> 0.3mm) irregularly polygonal staminodes. Infructescence not observed.

General Description Reference:

Peter C. Boyce, WONG SIN YENG, 2014. Studies on Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) of Borneo XXXVII – Three enigmatic new species of Schismatoglottis from the "Heart of Borneo"

Distribution Reference:

Peter C. Boyce, WONG SIN YENG, 2014. Studies on Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) of Borneo XXXVII – Three enigmatic new species of Schismatoglottis from the "Heart of Borneo"

Ecology Reference:

Peter C. Boyce, WONG SIN YENG, 2014. Studies on Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) of Borneo XXXVII – Three enigmatic new species of Schismatoglottis from the "Heart of Borneo"

Distribution:

Schismatoglottis gampsospadix is known only from area of the Batang Ai drainages, where it occurs as scattered populations.

Ecology:

Schismatoglottis gampsospadix occurs on earth banks over shale in moist to wet lowland gallery forest between 100-120m asl.

Taxonomy

Taxonomic Notes:

Schismatoglottis gampsospadix is a most peculiar species combining distinctive morphologies of four species occurring in widely separated parts of the genus (Wong et al., 2010), in addition to a so far unique growth habit in which the stem forms a sub-epigeal rhizome along which arise rosettes of leaves. Oddly, plants in cultivation retain an erect stem bearing tufts of leaves along its length, the older plants reaching to 25 cm or more tall and somewhat resembling an Aglaonema.

Schismatoglottis gampsospadix combines morphological characteristics otherwise known to occur in taxa of quite different species-complexes. The leaf blades in appressed rosettes are reminiscent of those of Schismatoglottis gamoandra M.Hotta and S. puberulipes Alderw. although the leaf blades are fleshy (not stiffly chartaceous), and lack the strongly raised tessellate secondary venation diagnostic for S. gamoandra and S. puberulipes. Leaf blades and petioles of S. gampsospadix are most similar to those of species related to S. asperata Engl., although the inflorescences (of S. asperata) are quite different, most notably in the entire spathe limb deliquescing as it senesces, whereas in S. gampsospadix only the spathe limb margins are marcescent. This type of marginal senescence, together with the overall spathe and spadix shape, is in turn closely matched by Schismatoglottis tecturata (Schott) Engl., although the shoot architecture of S. tecturata is quite dissimilar to that of S. gampsospadix by having the petiolar sheath reduced to a tiny collar and the protective role of the sheath taken on by the large prophylls subtending each leaf (i.e., monophyllous modules). The large staminodes present at the base of the pistillate flower zone in S. gampsospadix are very similar to those occurring in S. tecturata, S. gamoandra, and S. puberulipes, although these latter three species are vegetatively quite dissimilar. The elongated rhizome-like stem with leaf rosettes forming at intervals has no parallel in the genus.

Taxonomic Notes Reference:

Peter C. Boyce, WONG SIN YENG, 2014. Studies on Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) of Borneo XXXVII – Three enigmatic new species of Schismatoglottis from the "Heart of Borneo"

CATE Araceae

Araceae

Schismatoglottis gampsospadix P.C. Boyce & S.Y. Wong

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