Alocasia nycteris Medecilo, Yao & Madulid

nycteris - The specific epithet ‘nycteris' alludes to the bat-shaped leaves of this plant. Nycteris is a genus of African and Asiatic bats comprising the hollow-faced bats. (1)

Author

Medecilo - Melanie P. Medecilo

Yao - George C. Yao

Madulid - Domingo A. Madulid

Published: 2007 in Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas v.1: p.815

Synonyms

Alocasia advincula Yao: after Antonio Advincula

Published in International Aroid Society Newsletter Vol.5, No. 3 (Aug 2003)

Native Range

Endemic to the Philippines- Panay Island, Nabas to Ibajay, Aklan and Antique, 0-20 masl. (1)

Habitat

Remnant lowland forests and secondary forests. Common on rocky areas. Prefers shaded places along roadsides. It also grows in disturbed secondary forest near ricefields. (1)

Systems

Terrestrial

Conservation Status

Plants are still commonly found along roadsides and in private lands near secondary forests. At present the populations along accessible places are under threat because of over collection for horticultural purposes and from habitat destruction. No legal protection is given to the plant at present. Thus, it is highly recommended that appropriate conservation measures are imposed to prevent rapid decline of population. Mass propagation of the plant by tissue culture is an alternative to collection of the plants in the wild. No populational studies have been made and information is lacking about the biology, phenology, pollination and reproductive biology of the species. (1)

Taxonomic Notes

-From the Abstract (1)

Alocasia nycteris Medecilo, Yao & Madulid is described as a new species from Aklan and Antique, Panay Island, Philippines. The species is distinguished by its bat-wing shaped blade and deeply undulated to subpinnatifid leaf margins. The new species is most closely similar to A. sanderiana W. Bull.

Morphology

Terrestrial robust herb to 1.5 m tall; stem erect to decumbent, up to 12 cm x 2 cm; Leaves 2-4 together, subtended by cataphylls; cataphylls papery, up to 12 cm long by 2 cm wide at base, narrowly ovate, acuminate; petiole 45-100 cm x 1.5-2.0 cm wide, green with blackish green streaks, sheathed from one-third to one-quarter its length, marginally marcescent; blade hastate to sagittate, 20–37 cm x 35 cm wide at the middle, coriaceous, dark glossy green adaxially, paler green abaxially, membranous when dry, margin deeply undulated to subpinnatifid along margin; anterior lobe widely triangular or deltoid, acuminate at apex, 3-4 pairs of lateral veins nearly opposite diverging at 60-65° angle on each side of the anterior costa; axillary glands conspicuous, brownish green, 0.1 mm diam.; secondary veins very fine, 3 mm apart arising from the anterior costa and primary lateral veins then abruptly deflected to the margin not forming interprimary collective veins; posterior lobes diverging at 850–95° angle, up to 24 cm long; posterior costae naked in the sinus for 3-4 cm, tip rounded, in some leaves forked, with 3 primary veins arising from the posterior costa; inner side of the posterior lobe up to 4 cm wide at the middle, lanceolate. Inflorescence 1-2 together, subtended by cataphylls; cataphyll whitish green, narrowly ovate, 10-12cm x 3-4 cm at the middle, mucronate to 2 mm long, thick when fresh; peduncle up to 24 cm long x 1 cm wide at base, light green with grooves at the base; spathe up to 10 cm; lower spathe tube ovoid, light green, 1.5cm x lcm diam.; limb narrowly lanceolate, cucullate, pale yellow, tip acuminate, separated from the limb by a short deep constriction; spadix shorter than the spathe, partly adnate to the lower spathe at 1.5 mm; female zone 10 mm long, 7 mm wide at the middle; ovaries light green, subglobose, 3 mm in diam.; stigma 3-lobed; lobes, erect, 1 mm diam.; style 0.5 mm long, brownish green; pistillodes reduced, irregular shape with holes in the center, 1-2mm wide, whitish; sterile interstice 5 mm long x 4 mm wide, cylindric; whorl comprised of diamond-shaped to rhombo-hexagonal synandrodes, 2 mm wide; male 14 x 6 mm, cylindric, whitish green; synandria irregular to rhombo-hexagonal, slightly wavy at the edges, 1.5-2 mm diam., apical pores capped by synconnective; appendix 40 mm long x 5mm wide, yellow, tapering. Infructescence oblong. Fruit a berry, globose, 10 mm diam, orange when mature, 1–3 seeded. Seeds, greenish-black, globular, 2 mm in diam. (1)

Description

Alocasia sanderiana arte similis in foliis late sagittatis profunde undulatis, sed spadicis appendice longa, ovario subgloboso, interstitiis sterilibus irregulariter factis differt.

Rough translation: Alocasia sanderiana resembles in art, with wide arched leaves, deeply undulate, but with a long rust colored appendage, a subglobose ovary, and irregularly formed sterile interstices.

The species is known by its horticultural name “Bat Alocasia." It was recently introduced in the horticultural trade and is now becoming popular as an indoor or pot plant. It can be easily propagated vegetatively by separation of the suckers and division of the rhizomes. It is best grown under shade with adequate water supply. The plant is not only known in local markets but also in the international markets.

Alocasia nycteris resembles A. sanderiana W. Bull and A. portei Schott in having deeply undulated to subpinnatifid blade margins. It differs from A. sanderiana by its larger, taller habit, not having peltate leaves, the broadly triangular, hastate-sagittate blade, longer posterior lobes (in some individuals) and the absence of a silver white midrib and primary lateral veins. The color of the leaves of A. nycteris is green on both lower and upper surfaces while A. sanderiana is shiny, deep blackish green in the adaxial side and purple in the abaxial surface.

The species described here was first introduced to the public by an aroid enthusiast, Antonio Advincula during a garden show of the Philippine Horticultural Society, Inc. (PHSI) in 2003. George Yao, former President of the PHSI featured the species in the International Aroid Society Newsletter Vol.5, No. 3 (Aug 2003) and named it Alocasia advincula. The species name, however, could not be considered as validly published in accordance with the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (Greuter et al. 2000) as it is lacking a Latin diagnosis, and there is no rank indicated and no citation of the holotype. (1)

Fig. 1: A. Habit; B. Venation; C. Inflorescence; D. Pistils; E. Neuter organs of sterile interstice (basal); F. Synandria (male interstice); G. Infructescence. Scale: A,B,C and G = 2 cm; D-F = 3mm.