| |
Amorphophallus smithsonianus
|
| |
|
| |
Family:
ARACEAE
|
| |
Citation: Amorphophallus smithsonianus Sivad., Willdenowia 18: 435. 1989; Mohanan & Sivad., Fl. Agasthyamala 752. 2002; Gopalan & Henry, Endemic Pl. Agasthiyamala 52. 2000.
|
| |
Malayalam Name(s):
|
| |
Tamil name(s):
|
| |
English name(s):
|
| |
Description:
Herbs, corms smooth, glossy, compressed globose or subglobose, 3.0-4.5 x 2.0-2.5 cm in vegetative phase and, 4.5-9.0 cm x 3.5-4.0 cm in reproductive phase. Leaf solitary with 4-6 cataphylls; cataphylls 9-15 x 2.5-3.0 cm, tip acute with stiff bifid apex, light pink in colour; petiole 27-58 x 1.1-1.9 cm at base, 0.6-0.9 cm in diameter at tip, green with white specks and mottles; leaflets obovate to oblong, acuminate, dorsal side green, glabrous, venation closely pinnate, intramarginal vein present, margin erose. The corms in the reproductive phase with 4-6 cataphylls, the innermost equalling or exceeding the peduncle; peduncle 11.0-14.0 x 0.6-0.9 cm, resembling the petiole in colour; spathe funnel-shaped, broadly obovate with round or obtuse, entire or notched apex, 4.0-5.5 x 5.5-6.5 cm, convolute with top widely open, outside light green or greenish yellow with minute purplish specks above; inside dark purplish with minute truncate projections at the base for about one third of the length, and light yellowish green or creamy and smooth above. Spadix sessile, 21-30 cm long, with basal pistillate portion 0.8-1.1 cm long, a neuter portion 0.4-0.7 cm long followed by a staminate portion 2-3 cm long, and terminating in a sterile appendix 17.5-25.5 cm long. Pistillate flowers densely arranged, ovary ca 1.5 x 2 mm, cream coloured, style very short, 0.5-0.7 mm high, stigma subequalling the ovary with 3-5 stout echinations; neuter flowers in 1-5 rows, each obovoid or ellipsoid, dark and purplish or sometimes light green, varying to brownish, 6 x 4 mm; staminate flowers loosely or densely arranged, each ca. 1 mm high, subrectangular with round corners, 1.5 x 1 mm, cream coloured or light greenish to yellowish; dehiscence by apical confluent pores appearing like apical slits on each theca. Spadix-appendix 17.5-25.5 x 0.9 cm, tapering to the tip, bent or hanging from the middle, dark purplish, tip sometimes purplish green, becoming warted with age and changing to light yellowish brown or cream in colour, withering starting from tip to base; base with irregular longitudinal shallow furrows and few small spinescent projections.
|
| |
Habit:
Herb
|
| |
Flowering & Fruiting:
August-December
|
| |
District(s):
Thiruvananthapuram
|
| |
Medicinal:
|
| |
Habitat:
Rock crevices in evergreen forests
|
| |
Distribution:
Southern Western Ghats
|
| |
Aquatic:
No
|
| |
Epiphyte(s):
No
|
| |
Saprophyte:
No
|
| |
Stem parasite:
No
|
| |
Root parasite:
No
|
| |
Flower colour(s):
|
| |
Weed:
No
|
| |
Monocot/Dicot:
Monocotyledonous Plants
|
| |
Exotic:
No
|
| |
Garden:
No
|
| |
Edible:
No
|
| |
Vegetable:
No
|
| |
Endemic to:
Southern Western Ghats
|
| |
IUCN status:
Endangered (EN)
|
| |
Altitude:
300-700
|
| |
Localities:
Karamanayar region
|