Volume 16 > Part 2 > Year 2023 > Page 495 > Zingiberaceae > Etlingera

11. Etlingera metriocheilos (Griff.) R.M.Sm.wfo-0000415667

Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 43(2): 247. 1986; Khaw, Gard. Bull. Singapore 53: 231. 2001; Maknoi & Sirirugsa, Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc. 50: 226. 2002.— Achasma metriocheilos Griff., Not. Pl. Asiat. 3: 427. 1851.— Amomum metriocheilos (Griff.) Baker, Fl. Brit. India 6: 234. 1892.— Hornstedtia metriocheilos (Griff.) Ridl., J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 32: 147. 1899; Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 4: 271. 1924.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Rhizome long-creeping, 3.5 cm diam., glabrous, scales sericeous at base; stilt roots absent. Leafy shoots to 6 m long; base to 7.5–10 cm diam., reddish brown, with golden hairs; sheath at base ± reddish, brown and green near apex, glabrous including margin; ligule to 2.7 cm long, entire, apex round, glabrous, margin ± ciliate; petiole to 2–4 cm long, canaliculate, reddish in lower half, glabrous; blade narrowly elliptic, to 75–115 by 16–23 cm, length to width ratio 4.7–6.4, ± plicate, mid-green, glabrous, base cuneate, oblique, apex shortly acuminate, margin ± ciliate in upper half. Flowering shoot 18–22 cm long, arising from rhizome near base of leafy shoot, receptacle hemispherical, to 15 mm long, with up to 57 flowers, to 13 open at a time; peduncle subterranean, ascending, 10–20 cm long, ± sericeous; peduncular bracts to 2–7 by 2–2.5 cm, broadly ovate, apex acute, glabrous; spike partly embedded in soil 6–8.5 cm long (including flowers), flowers extending vertically 1–1.5 cm above bracts (apex of labellum distanced 2–2.5 cm from apex of supporting bracts); spike only including bracts ovoid to cylindrical, 5–6 by 5–6 cm; sterile bracts: several, to 6–9 by 1.5–3.5 cm, elliptic to narrowly ovate, apex acute, red to dark red, pubescent; fertile bracts 5.5–9.5 by 0.3–1.5 cm, narrowly obovate-ovate, apex rounded, slightly hooded, reddish brown, almost black towards apex, puberulent, apex ciliate; bracteoles 4–4.5 cm long, pale reddish brown, ± pubescent, apex bidentate, shortly mucronate, pubescent. Flower ca 11 cm long; ovary ca 6 by 6 mm, cream, sericeous; style ca 7.5 cm long, cream tinged ± red towards apex, tomentose to 1 cm below apex, flexistylous; stigma 4.5–5 mm wide, dark red almost black, pentangular with an adaxial knob, ostiole elliptic, transverse 2 mm, facing forwards; epigynous gland 7 mm long, split adaxially, ⅓ from apex below, each half irregularly lobed, glabrous; calyx 6–6.3 cm long, reaching to base of filament and 5 mm short of apex of corolla lobes, pale reddish brown to dark red at apex, ± pubescent, apex shortly mucronate, tridentate, teeth close together; floral tube 6.1 cm long, white to pale red, glabrous, tube inside sparsely tomentose on both surfaces at a 5 mm band corresponding to insertion of lobes outside; lobes white at base, pale pink in upper part, glabrous, reaching base of anther, dorsal lobe 2.4–2.5 by 0.5–0.6 cm, narrowly ovate, apex rounded, cucullate, lateral lobes ca 2 by 0.4 cm, narrowly ovate, apex rounded, cucullate; staminal tube ca 1.7 cm long, white tinged pink, sparsely tomentose at apex; labellum hourglass-shaped, angled 105–110° to tube, ca 4 by 2.2 cm, pinkish red, dark red in lower third of centre, glabrous, lateral lobes erect on either side of stamen, margin white, central lobe rounded, 1.4–2 cm across, extending ca 2.7 cm beyond anther, margin entire, apex rounded; stamen ca 1.5 cm long, red; filament 5–6 by 3–5 mm, canaliculate, cream to pale pink, sparsely short-tomentose abaxially; anther 10.5–11 by 3.5–5 mm, broadest just below apex, angled 150°, red, margin at apex slightly emarginate, incision 0.5–1 mm, angled, outer corners slightly pointed, thecae dehiscent in upper half for 4 mm to 1.5 below apex, shortly pubescent. Infructescence: peduncle subterranean, head 7 by 9 cm, hemispherical, ± oblate, basal bracts persistent, with up to 20 fruits per head; fruit ca 3 by 1.5–2.5 cm, pyriform to rounded obovoid, sides flattened towards base, apex with warty ridges, purple to brown, rufous-pubescent; seeds not seen.

Thailand : PENINSULAR: Yala, Narathiwat.

Distribution : Indonesia, Malaysia (Peninsular – types).

Ecology : Lowland forests, 100–700 m alt.

Vernacular : Tepus udang (Malay language, Lim 2001 for E. apus-hang) Narathiwat).

Notes: Holttum (1950) decided to ignore Achasma metriocheilos because it was inadequately described and instead described A. sphaerocephala with four varieties (later combined in Etlingera by Turner: Etlingera metriocheilos var. grandiflora, E. metriocheilos var. major, E. metriocheilos var. petiolata and E. metriocheilos var. rubrostriata, the latter here considered a synonym of E. subterranea). In addition, Lim (Folia Malaysiana 2(3), 2001) described E. apus-hang and reported it from southern Thailand. These taxa need to be better studied to have their rank and status evaluated but will here be considered as E. metriocheilos, which is recognised from other ground-flowering species in having a many-flowered inflorescence with flowers bearing a pink labellum with white lateral margin.