Schismatoglottis tessellata S.Y.Wong

CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011. araceae.e-monocot.org

Distribution

Central Sarawak (Kapit Division).

General Description

Leaf petioles, slightly D-shaped but slightly carinate channelled to the base of lamina adaxially in cross section, glabrous, longitudinal ridges only visible with magnification, long, 20-30 cm long; sheathing in the lower 1/3  to 1/2 with the sheaths tapering, fully attached, open, persistent to marcescent; lamina broadly ovate to oblong ovate, thinly coriaceous, 13-21 cm long × 5-10 cm wide, sometimes variegated with grey stripes on each side adaxially, the base cuneate to slightly retuse, the apex acute and strongly acuminate for ca 0.7-2 cm, adaxial surface semi-glossy deep green, abaxial surface paler green, always slightly bullate, glaucous, drying strongly discolourous; midrib adaxially flush with the lamina but centrally channelled at the leaf base, abaxially very prominent, raised canaliculate in cross section; primary venation impressed adaxially, strongly raised abaxially, numerous, 11-20 on each side of the midrib, alternating with lesser interprimaries or these occasionally arising from the bases of the primary veins, diverging at 45^o- 60^o and gradually curving towards the tip before reaching the intermarginal collecting vein; secondary veins mostly arising from the midrib, occasionally from near the bases of the primary veins; tertiary venation forming distinctive tessellate adaxially and abaxially, more notable adaxially. Inflorescences up to three together, erect, white, fragrant (esterases) smell at female anthesis; concealed by oblongo-lanceolate cataphyll, ca 7 cm long, peduncle to ca 2 cm, slightly exserted in fruit; spathe, interior glossy, exterior semi-glossy, softly coriaceous, ca 9 cm long; lower spathe broadly ovoid, ca 1.7 cm diam. × 3.8 cm long, differentiated from the limb by a faint constriction coinciding with interstice; limb broadly lanceolate, rather coriaceous, caducous by crumbling at or just after male anthesis; spadix, sessile, isodiametrically attached to the spathe in the lower 1/3  of female zone, conic-cylindric, ca 5.9 cm long; female zone, conic-cylindric, white when fresh but very slightly yellow in alcohol, 1.4 cm long × 7 mm diam., 1/4 of spadix length; pistils numerous, laxly-arranged, elongate-ovoid to subcylindric, ca 1.70 mm long × 0.53 mm diam.; stigma sessile, large bun-shaped, ca 0.26 mm diam., 1/2 of ovary, raised, papillate; interpistillar staminodes confined to more or less a single ring at the base of the female zone, irregularly polygonal from above, twice the size of ovaries, flat-topped, shorter than pistils; sterile interstice presence, 1.2 cm long, 1/6 of spadix length, pistils transitioning gradually into laxly spirally arranged pistilode that are ca half to two times larger than pistil, irregularly round, white when fresh and in alcohol, ca 7 mm long, sharp constriction in between pistillode and staminode zones; staminodes, larger than stamens, irregular polygonal, flat-topped, white when fresh and turning yellow in alcohol, ca 5 mm long; male zone, cylindric, ca 2.2 cm long x 4.8 mm diam., 1/3  of spadix length; stamens close-packed, irregularly butterfly-shaped from above and neighbouring anthers with their lobes interdigitating, 0.5 mm diam., anthers truncate, connective broad and thecae large, pores large accounting of the entire top of the thecae and shallow, C-shaped, the rims narrowly alate; appendix conic-cylindric, 1.2 cm long x 5.3 mm diam., 1/6  of spadix length, yellow when fresh, turning white in alcohol, distally tapering to a very blunt point, basally slightly thicker than the male zone, middle thicker than basal; staminodes of appendix loosely arranged, large staminode, flat-topped, 0.7-1.2 mm across, squat-columnar.

Habitat

Evergreen moist forest on shale where either on steep earth banks or lithophytic on muddy shale, 50-228 m asl.