Volume 11 > Part 2 > Year 2012 > Page 113 > Araceae > Aglaonema

3. Aglaonema cochinchinense Engl.

in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV, 23Dc (Heft 64): 16. 1915; Gagnep. in Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 6: 1127–1129. 1942; Nicolson, Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 1: 37, fig. 4. 1969.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Small, moderately robust, erect evergreen herb. Stem erect, not exceeding 15 cm. Leaves several together; petioles 8–22 cm; petiolar sheath short, with membranous margins, 3–5 cm long; leaf blade ovate to lanceolate to elliptic or narrowly elliptic, rather thinly leathery, 11–28 by 4–12.5 cm, base obtuse to rounded, frequently unequal, apex obtuse to acute, sometimes apiculate; mid-rib conspicuously raised adaxially; venation undifferentiated in living and dried plants. Inflorescences 1–2 together; peduncle 6–15 cm, frequently exceeding the subtending petiole; spathe oblong-ovate, 3–5 cm long, often apiculate, decurrent for 0.5–2 cm.; spadix cylindrical, 1.9–3.2 cm long, often exceeding the spathe at anthesis, stipitate; stipe 0.1–1 cm long; pistillate flower zone 0.4–0.7 cm long, with ca 10 flowers, these occasionally with clavate, associated staminodia; staminate flower zone tapering-cylindrical, 1.5–3 by ca 0.4 cm, white. Fruits ellipsoid, ca 2 by 1 cm, green, ripening to red.

Thailand : SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi; CENTRAL: Saraburi.

Distribution : N Peninsula Malayasia, Cambodia (type of Aglaonema cambodianum), S Vietnam (type).

Ecology : Dry evergreen forests on limestone or limestone-derived soils; ca 150 m alt.

Vernacular : Kluai tao (กล้วยเต่า), hua laman (หัวละมาน)(Southwestern).

Notes: Aglaonema cochinchinense appears to be most closely related to A. nitidum, both of which have undifferentiated venation and spadices that equal or exceed the spathe at anthesis. The principal differences from A. nitidum are the overall smaller size in all parts, proportionally shorter petioles with membranous (not scarious) margins, and the somewhat thinner leaf blade texture.