Alocasia micholitziana Sander

Moderately robust herb; stem erect to decumbent, to ea. 50 cm long, ea. 4 cm diam.; leaves ea. 4-7 together, not interspersed with cataphylls; petiole to 45 cm long, sheathing in the lower ea. quarter to third, mottled brownish, reddish and/or purplish; blade rich velvety matt deep green adaxially, paler abaxially, sagittate, ea. 40 cm long x 13 cm wide, very shallowly to shallowly peltate; costae and primary veins white adaxially; anterior lobe ca. 20 cm long, rather broadly triangular, the margin very strongly to shallowly but distinctly undulate; anterior costa with 4-5 primary lateral veins on each side diverging at ea. 60-80° then curving distally to the margin; secondary venation flush on both sides, arising from the primary venation at a wide angle (ea. 90-1 00°) then curving to the margin; interprimary collective veins not or hardly differentiated; posterior lobes diverging at ea. 60-90°, narrowly triangular, the outer margins undulate, to ea. 11 cm long; inflorescences to ea. 4 together; peduncle to ea. 20 cm long; spathe ea. 14 cm long; lower spathe ovoid, ea. 3 cm long, green, separated from the limb by a rather abrupt constriction; limb ea. 11 cm long, basally somewhat reflexed and distally cucullate at anthesis, opening wide; spadix ea. Three quarters the length of the spathe, sessile, ea. 9 cm long; female zone ea. 1 cm long (dry) x ea. 7 mm; ovaries globose, ea. 2.5 mm diam.; style ea. I mm, rather abruptly differentiated from ovary; stigma subglobose, weakly lobed; sterile interstice slender, ea. 7 mm long x 2 mm diam. at narrowest, the lower ring of synandrodia paler and larger than upper ones; male zone more or less cylindric, ea. 1.2 cm long x 5 mm wide; synandria rhombohexagonal, ea. 1.2 mm diam. (dry), opening by apical pores not capped by synconnective; appendix ea. 6 cm long, tapering to a narrow blunt tip, not or faintly constricted at junction with male zone, composed of irregular low elongate staminodia; fruiting spathe ca. 4 cm x 2 cm; fruit ca. 5 m diam. (1)

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(1999) Gardens' Bulletin Singapore v.51 p.24 (4)

Alocasia micholitziana Sander

Alocasia micholitziana Sander, Gard. Chron. ser. 3, 51 suppl. (1912) xv, fig. 9; N.E. Brown, Bot. Mag. (1913) t. 8522. K. Krause & Engl., Pflanzenr. 71 (IV.23E) (1920) 88; Merr., Enum. Philipp. FL PI. 1 (1922) 88; Burnett. Aroideana 7 (1984) 93, figs 28-31. - Type: Gard. Chron. ser. 3, 51 suppl. (1912) fig. 9 [sterile]. Epitype: Cult. Kew ex hort. Sander (leg. Micholitz). 1911, N.E. Brown s.n. (K, designated here).

Moderately robust herb; stem erect to decumbent, to ca. 50 cm long, ca. 4 cm diam.; leaves ca. 4-7 together, not interspersed with cataphylls; petiole to 45 cm long, sheathing in the lower ca. quarter to third, mottled brownish, reddish and/or purplish; blade rich velvety matt deep green adaxially, paler abaxially, sagittate, ca. 40 cm long x 13 cm wide, very shallowly to shallowly peltate; costae and primary veins white adaxially; anterior lobe ca. 20 cm long, rather broadly triangular, the margin very strongly to shallowly but distinctly undulate; anterior costa with 4-5 primary lateral veins on each side diverging at ca. 60-80° then curving distally to the margin; secondary venation flush on both sides, arising from the primary venation at a wide angle (ca. 90-100°) then curving to the margin; interprimary collective veins not or hardly differentiated; posterior lobes diverging at ca. 60-90°, narrowly triangular, the outer margins undulate, to ca. 11 cm long: inflorescences to ca. 4 together; peduncle to ca. 20 cm long; spathe ca. 14 cm long; lower spathe ovoid, ca. 3 cm long, green, separated from the limb by a rather abrupt constriction; limb ca. 11 cm long, basally somewhat reflexed and distally cucullate at anthesis, opening wide; spadix ca. three quarters the length of the spathe, sessile, ca. 9 cm long; female zone ca. 1 cm long (dry) x ca. 7 mm; ovaries globose, ca. 2.5 mm diam.: style ca. 1 mm, rather abruptly differentiated from ovary; stigma subglobose, weakly lobed; sterile interstice slender, ca. 7 mm long x 2 mm diam. at narrowest, the lower ring of synandrodia paler and larger than upper ones; male zone more or less cylindric, ca. 1.2 cm long x 5 mm wide; synandria rhombo-hexagonal, ca. 1.2 mm diam. (dry), opening by apical pores not capped by synconnective; appendix ca. 6 cm long, tapering to a narrow blunt tip. not or faintly constricted at junction with male zone, composed of irregular low elongate staminodia; fruiting spathe ca. 4 cm x 2 cm; fruit ca. 5 m diam.

Distribution: Endemic to Luzon.

Habitat: In primary and secondary forest and roadsides at ca. 1200-1500 m altitude. This species is said to be common and widespread, and presumably occurs over a somewhat wider altitudinal range than the limited available data indicate.

Notes: The plant illustrated in the figure accompanying the protologue is sterile and an epitype is needed to establish the application of this name more firmly. Selection of the designated specimen is based on the facts that it is fertile and preserved from a plant cultivated at Kew, annotated by Brown as Alocasia micholitziana and as obtained from Sander's nursery and originally collected by Micholitz after whom the species was named. Those facts would appear to form an adequate indirect link between the specimen and the plant on which Sander based his description; indeed they are quite probably clonally identical.

Madulid (pers. comm.) notes that this species occurs in several varieties. These are not clearly evident from herbarium material, though there is sufficient variation for a number of horticultural varieties to have been recognised (Burnett, 1984). A. micholitziana is distinguishable from A. sanderiana, with which it shares white major venation and undulate leaf margins, by its paler, brighter, matt green leaf surface - not purple abaxially, and by the leaf bases not subtended by cataphylls except at the beginning of a sympodial module. Moreover, the leaf of A. micholitziana is less deeply peltate than that of A. sanderiana.

Other specimens seen: Luzon, Ifugao Prov., Banaue, Bogner 1631 (M); Ifugao prov., Banaue, Bayninan, Conklin & Buwaya PNH 80620 (GH, L); Laguna Prov., Los Banos (Mt Maquiling), Elmer 17769 (BO, CAL, GH, NY); Benguet Prov., Loher 2441 (K); Rizal Prov., Loher 15005 (UC); Ifugao Prov., Banaue, Poitan, Liwang, Mendoza PNH 37182 (L); Laguna Prov., Mt Makiling, along path from College of Agriculture, Nicolson 843 (L, US).

Fig. 1: Tab. 8522 of "Curtis's Botanical Magazine v.139 (1913)"

References

(1) https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:84208-1

(2) https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/102748#page/29/mode/1up

(3) https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/14265#page/164/mode/1up

(4) https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43578391#page/36/mode/1up

Herbaria

Specimen / Collection Number: K000291391 (Kew)

Plant Parts: Spathes and spadices

Type Status: Epitype

Collector: Anonymous

Date Collected: Unknown

Determiner / Identified By: Hay, A.

Determination / Identification Date: Nov 14 1996

Biogeographic Region: Greater Luzon

Country: Philippines

Precise Locality: Luzon

Elevation/Altitude: Unknown

Initial ID: Unknown

Notes: May be epitype if illustration in protologue inadequate. AH '96

Link: http://specimens.kew.org/herbarium/K000291391

Specimen / Collection Number: K000291392 (Kew)

Plant Parts: Leaves

Type Status: Epitype

Collector: Anonymous

Date Collected: Unknown

Determiner / Identified By: Hay, A.

Determination / Identification Date: Nov 14 1996

Biogeographic Region: Greater Luzon

Country: Philippines

Precise Locality: Luzon

Elevation/Altitude: Unknown

Initial ID: Unknown

Notes: May be epitype if illustration in protologue inadequate. AH '96

Link: http://specimens.kew.org/herbarium/K000291392

Specimen / Collection Number: K000291393 (Kew)

Plant Parts: Leaves

Type Status: Epitype

Collector: Anonymous

Date Collected: Unknown

Determiner / Identified By: Hay, A.

Determination / Identification Date: Nov 14 1996

Biogeographic Region: Greater Luzon

Country: Philippines

Precise Locality: Luzon

Elevation/Altitude: Unknown

Initial ID: Unknown

Notes: May be epitype if illustration in protologue inadequate. AH '96

Link: http://specimens.kew.org/herbarium/K000291393

Specimen / Collection Number: K000291394 (Kew)

Plant Parts: Leaves

Type Status: Epitype

Collector: Anonymous

Date Collected: Unknown

Determiner / Identified By: Hay, A.

Determination / Identification Date: Nov 14 1996

Biogeographic Region: Greater Luzon

Country: Philippines

Precise Locality: Luzon

Elevation/Altitude: Unknown

Initial ID: Unknown

Notes: May be epitype if illustration in protologue inadequate. AH '96

Link: http://specimens.kew.org/herbarium/K000291394

Specimen / Collection Number: K000400147 (Kew)

Plant Parts: Leaves, Flowers/inflorescence, Flowers/inflorescence (with inflorescence axis)

Type Status: Unknown

Collector: Micholitz

Date Collected: Unknown

Determiner / Identified By: Hay, A.

Determination / Identification Date: Jan 1997

Biogeographic Region: Greater Luzon

Country: Philippines

Precise Locality: Luzon

Elevation/Altitude: Unknown

Initial ID: Unknown

Notes: None

Link: http://specimens.kew.org/herbarium/K000400147

Specimen / Collection Number: K000400148 (Kew)

Plant Parts: Leaves, Flowers/inflorescence, Flowers/inflorescence (with inflorescence axis), Stem(s)

Type Status: Unknown

Collector: Loher, A.

Date Collected: Unknown

Determiner / Identified By: Hay, A.

Determination / Identification Date: Jan 1997

Biogeographic Region: Greater Luzon

Country: Philippines

Precise Locality: Benguet: A Province in the island of Luzon.

Elevation/Altitude: Unknown

Initial ID: Unknown

Notes: None

Link: http://specimens.kew.org/herbarium/K000400148

Specimen / Collection Number: K000400149 (Kew)

Plant Parts: Leaves

Type Status: Unknown

Collector: Micholitz, M.W.

Date Collected: Nov 16 1910

Determiner / Identified By: Hay, A.

Determination / Identification Date: Nov 14 1996

Biogeographic Region: Greater Luzon

Country: Philippines

Precise Locality: Luzon, North

Elevation/Altitude: 244.0 m

Initial ID: Unknown

Notes: Habitat in damp ravines. Leaves five to Seven. Soft velvety green. Midrib ivory white.

Link: http://specimens.kew.org/herbarium/K000400149

Specimen / Collection Number: K000400150 (Kew)

Plant Parts: Leaves

Type Status: Unknown

Collector: Micholitz, M.W.

Date Collected: Nov 16 1910

Determiner / Identified By: Hay, A.

Determination / Identification Date: Nov 14 1996

Biogeographic Region: Greater Luzon

Country: Philippines

Precise Locality: Luzon, North.

Elevation/Altitude: 244.0 m

Initial ID: Unknown

Notes: Habitat in damp ravines. Leaves five to Seven. Soft velvety green. Midrib ivory white. Sent to Antwerp in cases.

Link: http://specimens.kew.org/herbarium/K000400150

Specimen / Collection Number: 7138 (Smithsonian)

Plant Parts: Whole plant

Type Status: Unknown

Collectors: Reynoso, E.; Sagcal, E. C.; Garcia, --

Date Collected: Aug 6 1992

Determiner / Identified By: Nicolson, D. H.

Determination / Identification Date: May 1997

Biogeographic Region: Greater Luzon

Country: Philippines

Precise Locality: Ifugao prov., Bangaan View Point, Banaue

Elevation/Altitude: Unknown

Initial ID: Unknown

Notes: Secondary forest; found along the gulley. Soil dark

Link: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/330945b10-8ccd-4f33-82e3-f212b5a48001

Image Link

Specimen / Collection Number: 7222 (Smithsonian)

Plant Parts: Whole plant

Type Status: Unknown

Collectors: Reynoso, E.; Sagcal, E. C.; Garcia, --

Date Collected: Aug 11 1992

Determiner / Identified By: Hay, A.

Determination / Identification Date: Nov 14 1996

Biogeographic Region: Greater Luzon

Country: Philippines

Precise Locality: Ifugao prov., Valley Patukan, Poblacion II, Kiangan

Elevation/Altitude: Unknown

Initial ID: Unknown

Notes: Secondary forest; found along the roadside. Soil brownish

Link: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3b0af95cd-3ffb-4860-8aa8-2f62017b3f8b

Image Link

Specimen / Collection Number: 843 (Smithsonian)

Plant Parts: Whole plant

Type Status: Unknown

Collector: Nicolson, D. H.

Date Collected: Dec 18 1960

Determiner / Identified By: Hay, A.

Determination / Identification Date: Nov 14 1996

Biogeographic Region: Greater Luzon

Country: Philippines

Precise Locality: Laguna prov., Mt. Makiling, along path from College of Agriculture

Elevation/Altitude: 700 m

Initial ID: Unknown

Notes: Along path

Link: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/300831a35-c71d-44b9-92fd-a9c4885bb0f8

Image Link

In situ

PHILIPPINES: Luzon; Region: Calabarzon; Province: Quezon, Dolores, Brgy. Kinabuhayan, Mt Banahaw;

Coordinates of general area: 14 2 37.46 N, 121 26 54.67 E

Date: November 23, 2011

Images: P.B. Pelser & J.F. Barcelona

Link: Links in respective photos

PHILIPPINES: Luzon; Region: Calabarzon; Province: Quezon, Dolores, Brgy. Kinabuhayan, Mt Banahaw;

Coordinates of general area: 14 2 36.54 N, 121 28 2.82 E

Date: November 24, 2011

Images: P.B. Pelser & J.F. Barcelona

Link: Links in respective photos

PHILIPPINES: Luzon; Region: Cordillera Administrative Region; Province: Benguet, La Trinidad, Puguis Communal Forest;

Coordinates of general area: 16 27 37.65 N, 120 36 12.15 E

Date: June 24, 2016

Images: Aris Reginaldo

Link: Links in respective photos

Flowering plant

Inflorescence

PHILIPPINES: Luzon; Region: Cagayan Valley; Province: Nueva Vizcaya, Santa Fe

Date: April 23, 2023

Images: Jonard Jake Payangdo

Habit

PHILIPPINES: Luzon; Region: Cagayan Valley; Province: Nueva Vizcaya, Santa Fe

Date: April 23, 2023

Images: Jonard Jake Payangdo

PHILIPPINES: Luzon; Region: Cagayan Valley; Province: Nueva Vizcaya, Santa Fe

Date: April 23, 2023

Images: Jonard Jake Payangdo

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