Family:
Araceae Juss.
Genus:
Culcasia P.Beauv.

Culcasia orientalis Mayo

This species is accepted, and its native range is Kenya to Mozambique.

[FTEA]

Araceae, S.J. Mayo. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1985

Morphology General Habit
Lianescent and ground-creeping herb with short clasping roots at and below the nodes; internodes 2.5–8 cm. long, 0.25–0.6 cm. in diameter; epidermis (when dried) tan-coloured, sparsely and distinctly tuberculate.
Morphology Leaves
Petiole 3.8–13.7 cm. long; sheath usually more than half total petiole length; blade obliquely ovate to oblong-ovate, 6.6–19.3 cm. long, 3.8–10.2 cm. broad, 1.5–2.4 cm. times longer than broad, shortly acuminate to cuspidate, base rounded, subcordate, obtuse or subacute; pellucid glands sparse to frequent, variable in size, punctate or linear and up to 0.4 cm. long; primary lateral veins forming looping inframarginal veins, at least in upper half of blade.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences (3–)4–8(–12), usually 4, inserted on a very short sympodium; all peduncles except the first subtended by lanceolate bracts; peduncle 3–8.5 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Spathe
Spathe slightly constricted centrally when closed, green, 2–4 cm. long, 0.5–0.9 cm. in diameter when closed, boat-shaped and gaping at anthesis.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spadix
Spadix subequal to spathe; staminate part 1.5 cm. long, 0.55 cm. in diameter; pistillate part 0.5–0.6 cm. long, with naked basal stipe 0.2–0.7 cm. long, 0.25 cm. in diameter.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Pistils densely congested, subprismatic; stigma sessile, circular, excentric.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Berries obovoid to ellipsoid, 0.8–1.1 cm. long, 0.6–0.7 cm. in diameter (when dried), glossy red; mature inflorescences usually with less than 4 berries.
Figures
Fig. 4/10,11 & fig. 5.
Habitat
Riverine, swamp and secondary forest, rarely semideciduous forest; 0–750 m.
Distribution
K7 P T3 T6 T8 Z not known elsewhere

[CATE]

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

Habitat
Riverine, swamp and secondary forest, rarely semideciduous forest
General Description
Lianescent and ground-creeping herb with short clasping roots at and below the nodes; internodes 2.5-8 cm. long, 0.25-0.6 cm. in diameter; epidermis (when dried) tan-coloured, sparsely and distinctly tuberculate. LEAVES: Petiole 3.8-13.7 cm. long; sheath usually more than half total petiole length; blade obliquely ovate to oblong-ovate, 6.6-19.3 cm. long, 3.8-10.2 cm. broad, 1.5-2.4 cm. times longer than broad, shortly acuminate to cuspidate, base rounded, subcordate, obtuse or subacute; pellucid glands sparse to frequent, variable in size, punctate or linear and up to 0.4 cm. long; primary lateral veins forming looping inframarginal veins, at least in upper half of blade. INFLORESCENCES: (3-)4-8(-12), usually 4, inserted on a very short sympodium; all peduncles except the first subtended by lanceolate bracts; peduncle 3-8.5 cm. long. Spathe slightly constricted centrally when closed, green, 2-4 cm. long, 0.5-0.9 cm. in diameter when closed, boat-shaped and gaping at anthesis. Spadix subequal to spathe; staminate part 1.5 cm. long, 0.55 cm. in diameter; pistillate part 0.5-0.6 cm. long, with naked basal stipe 0.2-0.7 cm. long, 0.25 cm. in diameter. Pistils densely congested, subprismatic; stigma sessile, circular, excentric. INFRUCTESCENCE: Berries obovoid to ellipsoid, 0.8-1.1 cm. long, 0.6-0.7 cm. in diameter (when dried), glossy red; mature inflorescences usually with less than 4 berries.
Distribution
This species is confined to humid evergreen forests at lower altitudes in eastern Kenya and Tanzania. The few specimens seen from Pemba and Zanzibar differ from mainland collections in having inflorescences in groups of only 2 to 3, but agree in other respects.

Native to:

Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia

Culcasia orientalis Mayo appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Bogner, J. [140], Tanzania 22712.000 No
Faulkner, H. [K.613], Tanzania 23583.000 No

First published in Fl. Trop. E. Africa, Arac.: 20 (1985)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R. & Frodin, D.G. (2002). World Checklist and Bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae): 1-560. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.
  • Haigh, A. & Boyce, P.C. (2012). Flora Zambesiaca 12(1): 1-54. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Literature

CATE Araceae

  • Mayo, S.J. 1985. Araceae. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 71 pp.

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Haigh, A. & Boyce, P.C. (2012). Flora Zambesiaca 12(1): 1-54. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

  • CATE Araceae

    Haigh, A., Clark, B., Reynolds, L., Mayo, S.J., Croat, T.B., Lay, L., Boyce, P.C., Mora, M., Bogner, J., Sellaro, M., Wong, S.Y., Kostelac, C., Grayum, M.H., Keating, R.C., Ruckert, G., Naylor, M.F. and Hay, A., CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011.
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0