AMORPHOPHALLUS INFUNDIBULIFORMIS
PROTOLOGUE: Amorphophallus infundibuliformis Hett., A.Dearden & A.Vogel, published in Blumea 39: 255 (1994).
Amorphophallus infundibuliformis Hett., Dearden& A.Vogel, spec. nov.
Ab omnibus speciebus in spatha obconica infundibuliformi,staminodiis longis aristatis ad uncinatis appendici insidentibus differt. Typus: Dearden s. n. (L holo; spirit coll.), cult. Cairns ex Malaysia, Sarawak, 1st Division (no locality), 1990.
DISTRIBUTION: Borneo (Sarawak, Kalimantan Barat): Borneo.
DISTRIBUTION NOTE: Sarawak, Kuching Division.
SPECIES DESCRIPTION:
Leaf solitary; petiole (partly known) dirty whitish with numerous, confluent, irregular, green spots and scattered whitepunctiform dots, these more or less raised; terminal segments lanceolate, long acuminate, margin with numerous small undulations, main veins impressed, upper surface green, moderately glossy.
INFLORESCENCE:
Inflorescence short peduncled; cataphylls whitish with numerous small, pinkish dots and many larger, blackish green, irregular spots; peduncle 4 cm long, c. 0.8 cm in diam.(base), lengthening in fruit; spathe strongly convolute, funnel-shaped, obconic in side-view, transversely orbicular-elliptic, 6 cm long, c. 8 cm in diam., very widely acute, limb and base poorly differentiated, outside dirty whitish with pale brownish venation and scattered, small, angulate, blackish green spots, inside whitish, the lower half dark maroon, base within strongly, longitudinally ridged. Spadix sessile, very obliquely inserted, slightly longer than spathe; female zone oblique, annuliform, 1 mm (dorsal side)-5 mm (ventral side) long, c. 1 cm in diam., flowers congested; male zone cylindric, base oblique, 0.8-1.3 cm in length, c. 1 cm in diam., flowers congested; appendix cylindric, obtuse, whitish, 6.5 cm long, 1 cm in diam., entirely, densely covered with staminodes, these in the lower third shortly conical to aristate, sometimes uncinate, up to 2 mm long. Ovaries depressed, irregular or cubic, angulate in cross section, 0.9-1.5 mm in diam., 1.2-1.5 mm high, reddish brown, near the style insertion maroonish, unilocular; style absent oronly basiscopically developed; stigma sessile or partly sessile, acroscopically orientated, reniform, a shallow depression in the middle, one conic lobe on the outward facing margin, 0.8-1 mm in diam., 0.3-0.5 mm high, dark greyish brown, surface densely verruculate. Male flowers upwards fused into longitudinal chains, otherwise consisting of 3-5 stamens; stamens 1-1.3 mm in diam., c. 0.7 mm long, rounded, oval or irregular in cross section, white; filaments absent or nearly so, entirely connate; anthers truncate; pores apical, rounded or elongate (confluent). Pollen weakly striate.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin infundibulum, “funnel,” and-formis, “shaped,” referring to the species’ distinctive funnel- or vase-shaped spathe. The original account considered this form unique within Amorphophallus, with the strongly convolute spathe appearing obconical in side view and much of the inflorescence concealed among the cataphylls.
NOTES:
1. Amorphophallus infundibuliformis cannot be mistaken for any other species in the genus because of its unique, vase-funnel-shaped spathe, largely hidden in the cataphylls during flowering. It shows similarities with three other species found in Sarawak, viz. Amorphophallus costatus (female and male flowers), Amorphophallus eburneus (male flowers), and Amorphophallus pendulus (surface of appendix base).
REFERENCES:
1. Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — Amorphophallus infundibuliformis Hett., A.Dearden & A.Vogel
2. Blumea 39: 255 (1994) — protologue.
3. Alan Galloway — Amorphophallus infundibuliformis, alangallowaybotanicals.com.