Volume 11 > Part 2 > Year 2012 > Page 242 > Araceae > Homalomena

1. Homalomena aromatica (Spreng.) Schott

in Schott & Endl., Melet. Bot.: 20. 1832; Syn. Aroid.: 117–118. 1856; Prodr. Syst. Aroid.: 309. 1860; Engl. in A.DC. & C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 2: 335–336. 1879; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 6: 532. 1893; Engl. & Krause in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV, 23Da (Heft 55), 59–61, Fig. 36. 1912; Gagnep. In Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 6: 1114–1116. 1942; Li & Boyce in H.Li et al., Fl. China 23: 18. 2010.— Zantedeschia aromatica Spreng., Syst. Veg. 3: 765. 1826.— Calla aromatica (Spreng.) Roxb., Fl. Ind. ed. 1832, 3: 513. 1832.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Moderate, somewhat robust, stemless to decumbent-stemmed herb to 60 cm, smelling of camphor. Leaves several together; petioles to 35 cm long, pale to mid-green with slightly darker longitudinal 1–2 cm by 0.5 mm streaks; petiolar sheath 4–7 cm, margins membranous, persistent; leaf blade ovate-sagittate to elliptic-sagitatte or lanceolate-sagittate, 20–30 by 10–17 cm, base cordato-sagittate, sinus wide (ca 5 cm) apex acute to long-acuminate, with a ca 2 mm tubular mucro, thinly coriaceous, mid-green; posterior costae each with 4–6 primary lateral veins arising more or less together; anterior costa with 4–6 primary lateral veins and a similar number of virtually indistinguishable interprimary veins diverging from the midrib at 45°; secondary venation striate. Inflorescences 1–2 together; peduncle 10–18 cm, erect (developing and floral) to declinate (after anthesis and fruiting), coloured as for petioles; spathe oblong, 8–10 cm long, gaping at anthesis, then closing again, pale green; spadix tapering-cylindrical, 7–9 cm, sub-equalling spathe, stipitate; stipe ca 5 mm long; pistillate flower zone 1.5–3 by 1 cm; ovaries ovoid-globose, ca 2 mm diam., with an associated clavate staminode ca equalling height of the ovary; stigma sessile, capitate, ovary pale green; staminode ivory; staminate flower zone 5.5–6 cm by 5 mm; staminate flowers rhombohexagonal in plan view, ca 1–2 mm diam., each comprising two stamens overtopped by a large connective, white. Infructescence when ripe shedding spathe by slightly ragged basal abscission; fruits dull orange yellow, smelling of overripe fruit.

Thailand : NORTHERN: Chiang Mai, Lampang; NORTH-EASTERN: Loei.

Distribution : NE India through Bangladesh (type) to SW China.

Ecology : Evergreen and deciduous hill and upper hill forests on steep slopes, road and track cuttings, occasionally on limestone; 500–950 m alt.

Vernacular : Tao kiat (เต่าเกียด), tao khiat (เต่าเขียด), hora (โหรา)(Chumphon).

Notes: Homalomena aromatica is the commonest Homalomena species throughout northern Thailand. Despite the extensive natural range it is a remarkably morphologically stable species and shows almost none of the variation in colouration that other species display.