AMORPHOPHALLUS RAYONGII
PROTOLOGUE: Amorphophallus rayongii Hett. & Medecilo, published in Blumea 65: 4 (2020).
Amorphophallus rayongii Hett. & Medecilo, sp. nov. Type: G. Yao s.n. (holo PNH 256730), Philippines, Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan, along vacant lots near the resort shoreline, 20 May 2012.
DISTRIBUTION: Philippines: Philippines.
DISTRIBUTION NOTE: Philippines: Aklan - Boracay Island, in vacant ground near the resort shoreline; known only from the type locality.².
SPECIES DESCRIPTION:
Tuber irregularly globose, to at least 8 cm diam, producing few offsets, released in the next growing season after initiation. Petiole 35 by 0.8 cm, smooth, pale green, upper part with scattered whitish spots, lower part with indistinct olive green spots. Lamina 70 cm diam, rachises very narrowly winged throughout; leaflets elongate elliptic, 4-19 cm long, 1.5-5 cm wide, acuminate.²
INFLORESCENCE:
Peduncle c. 100 cm long, c. 2.5 cm diam, smooth, pale green. Spathe elongate triangular, 23.5 cm long, 12 cm wide at the base, base and limb separated by a constriction, base outside green, inside upper part green, lower part maroon, limb erect, outside pale brown, inside dark brown, base inside densely verrucate. Spadix longer than spathe, 52.5 cm long; female zone cylindric, 2 cm long, 1.7 cm diam, flowers congested; male zone 10.5 cm long, 1.8 cm diam, flowers congested; sterile zone between female and male zone 1 cm long, 1 cm diam, with slightly separated synandrodes; appendix narrowly elongate conical, 39 cm long, 2 cm diam at the base, gradually tapering to the subacute top, surface rugulose, pale green or off-white. Ovaries depressed, 4 mm diam, 2 mm high, pale green, unilocular; style 1-2 mm long, 1 mm diam, curved upwards, pale green; stigma depressed or transversely bilabiate, 3 by 1.5 mm diam, 0.8 mm high, more or less strongly 2-3-lobed, surface verrucate, pale brown. Male flowers consisting of 4-5 stamens; stamens 2 mm long; filaments very short, free, c. 0.2 mm long; anthers off-white, subtruncate, 1.8 mm long, 2 mm diam, connective slightly sunken, pores apical, slit-like. Synandrodes elliptical, 4-7 mm long, 3-4 mm diam, 2 mm high, flattened, surface densely verrucate or irregular.²
ETYMOLOGY:
Named after Ray Ong, who discovered the plant on Boracay Island.²
NOTES:
1. Amorphophallus rayongii is morphologically very close to Amorphophallus salmoneus, with which it shares the flattened, verrucate synandrodes set between the male and female zones. No other Philippine species shows that character. Synandrodes themselves are not unique in the genus and occur in a number of Southeast Asian species, but the verrucate surface of the Philippine plants is.²
2. The species is known from a single gathering made in vacant ground beside a resort shoreline on Boracay - one of the most heavily visited islands in the Philippines.²
REFERENCES:
1. Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — Amorphophallus rayongii Hett. & Medecilo
2. Blumea 65: 4 (2020) — protologue.
3. Alan Galloway — Amorphophallus rayongii, alangallowaybotanicals.com.