Image: Mihai Costea (Phytoimages)
micholitziana - after Wilhelm Micholitz, a German plant collector who worked for the German-English gardener Henry Frederick Conrad Sander.
Sander - Henry Frederick Conrad Sander
Published:
Commonly Cultivated Form
Other Names: "Maxkowskii", "Green Velvet"
Image: Ayk Albano
Cultivated Wild Specimen
Image: UConn - Plant Biodiversity Conservatory and Research Core
Endemic to the Philippines- Luzon
Terrestrial
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)
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)"
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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