AMORPHOPHALLUS JULIAE
PROTOLOGUE: Amorphophallus juliae P.C.Boyce & Hett., published in Gard. Bull. Singapore 61: 260 (2010).
Amorphophallus juliae P.C. Boyce & Hett., sp. nov. Ab omnibus speciebus in habitu calcicola lithophytica Borneensibus borealis combinatio appendice spadicis echinatis et petiolorum foliis pallide rubro et valde brunneis maculatis distinguitur; ab Amorphophallo niahensis spathae lamina marginem valde revolutis et reflexis et appendice spadicis profunde echinatis differt. – Type: Sarawak, Kapit Division, Belaga District, Bukit Merirai, path to Gua Tiang & Gua Spring, 2° 46' 07" N; 113° 38' 58" E, 6 Jul 2005, P. Leong, R. Kiew, S. Julia et al. PL 135 (Holotypus, SAR; isotypus, SING.)
DISTRIBUTION: Borneo (Sarawak): Borneo.
DISTRIBUTION NOTE: Sarawak: Kapit Division, Belaga District, Bukit Merirai.
SPECIES DESCRIPTION:
Medium-sized, moderately robust, aseasonally dormant geophytic herb to 1.2 m tall. Tuber depressed globose, with irregular slightly raised areas, up to 7 cm diam., 4 cm high, surface pale brown, interior white. Leaf solitary, petiole proportionately short compared to the lamina diameter; petiole up to 35 cm long, ca 2 cm diameter at base, moderately turgid, cylindrical, smooth, uniform dull pale red with strongly demarcated irregular reddish brown spots and elongated streaks, subtended by 2–3 marcescent cataphylls, these extending ca 1/3rd the length of the petiole; lamina moderately dissected, up to 55 cm diam., thinly coriaceous, adaxial surface mid green, abaxial surface paler, rachises naked, narrowly canaliculate, pale pinkish green; leaflets elliptic-lanceolate, 2–13 × 2–5 cm, more-or-less sessile, lowermost pair of leaflets symmetrical, all others asymmetrical and obliquely inserted or rhachis, apex shortly acuminate to 1.5 long; margins of larger leaflets very slightly sinuate; 5–7 pairs of primary lateral veins, these adaxially flush to slightly impressed, abaxially very slightly raised; venation forming distinct submarginal veins; interprimary veins less defined, secondary veins forming a weak reticulum.
INFLORESCENCE:
Inflorescence solitary, occasionally two together, flowering before emergence of foliage leaves but in any one colony mature plants at all stages of growth (emerging leaves to ripe infructescences) present simultaneously; peduncle and lower part of spathe encased in sub-fleshy cataphylls; peduncle cylindrical, up to 13 cm long, 5–6 mm diam., pale green, pinkish where exposed to light; cataphylls several per inflorescence; elongate-ovate to linear, 2–15 cm × 1.5–3.5 cm, pale greenish white, sub fleshy at anthesis, then soon withering and then decaying, drying mid brown. Spathe broadly oblong-ovate, funnel-form, up to 9 cm long × 3 cm wide (fresh), pressed material up to 7 cm diam.; spathe limb accounting for ca 1/3 or less of the spathe length, margins recurved at anthesis and at first somewhat conspicuously green-veined; interior white, smooth, somewhat glossy, exterior very pale greenish white to white; lower spathe convolute and much inflated at anthesis, 2–7 cm long, interior muricate-verrucate, deep reddish purple, exterior pale greenish white, sometimes slightly pink-tinged, the margins recurving to form a conspicuous collar ca 1cm wide, this somewhat glossy and frequently tinged and veined pale green at anthesis. Spadix exceeding spathe, 9–12 cm long. Appendix up to 11 cm long, slender elongate-fusiform, ca 9 mm diam. (fresh), ca 4 mm diam, (dried), white to dull cream, very pronounced-echinate, producing a mild odour of rotten fish during anthesis. Flowers unisexual; male flower zone weakly fusiform-cylindrical, up to 3 cm × 6 mm diam., cream; stamens ca 1 mm long, ca 0.5 mm broad across, pores paired, mostly solitary, the reduction in pore number proceeding upwards towards the appendix, pollen pale yellow. Female flower zone cylindrical, contiguous with the maleflower zone, ca 4.5–7 × ca 7 mm diam.; male flowers dense, not arranged in longitudinal rows; pistils (female flowers) few, densely arranged, ovaries compressed globose, ca 1.5 × 1.5 mm, dark purple, mostly bilocular; stigma sessile, conspicuously three lobed. Infructescence with up to 50 berries, peduncle up to 18 cm long, but mostly buries, ca 7 mm diam. at base, 9 mm diam. at apex, with a dark brown V-shaped scar from the marcescent spathe. Fruit an ellipsoid berry 15–21mm × 8–10 mm, apex rounded, with conspicuous impressed blackish stigma remnants, one seeded, deep orange at maturity. Seeds ellipsoid, 12–17 mm × 7–8.2 mm wide, testa smooth, thin, yellowish green.
ECOLOGY:
Found in lowland limestone forest, shady areas in humus-filled fissures and holes in limestone; altitude: 60 m
ETYMOLOGY:
Named in honor of Julia anak Sang, a forest botanist from the Forestry Research Department, Sarawak Forestry Corporation, Kuching, and co-collector of the type specimen. The Latinized epithet juliae means “of Julia.”
NOTES:
1. By the leaf with a proportionately short petiole compared with the leaf lamina diameter, and in bearing numerous small leaflets Amorphophallus juliae is vegetatively most similar Amorphophallus brachyphyllus and Amorphophallus niahensis. From both, Amorphophallus juliae differs in the pale reddish petioles with large darker reddish brown spots (vs pale to medium green, concolorous or very occasionally with obscure paler green circles in Amorphophallus brachyphyllus and Amorphophallus niahensis).
2. The male flowers not fused into longitudinal rows, the subentire to weakly bilobed stigma and echinate spadix appendix resemble those of Amorphophallus niahensis, although the echinate texture is markedly more pronounced in Amorphophallus juliae. Amorphophallus juliae is readily distinguished from Amorphophallus niahensis by the opening of the lower part of spathe strongly recurving to form a conspicuous collar ca 1cm wide during anthesis (margins not or only minutely recurved in Amorphophallus niahensis) and spathe limb margins recurving very markedly.
3. Amorphophallus juliae is most readily distinguished from Amorphophallus brachyphyllus by the male flowers not fused into longitudinal rows, the densely arranged pistils, the proportionately shorter spathe limb (comprising ca 1/3 or less of the entire spathe vs ½ or more of entire spathe), and the spathe limb reflexing at male anthesis (vs. spathe limb erect throughout anthesis), and subentire to weakly trilobed stigma (versus deeply bi-trilobed).
REFERENCES:
1. Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — Amorphophallus juliae P.C.Boyce & Hett.
2. Gard. Bull. Singapore 61: 260 (2010) — protologue.
3. Alan Galloway — Amorphophallus juliae, alangallowaybotanicals.com.
Additional photos by Pio Swiat