Volume 11 > Part 2 > Year 2012 > Page 310 > Araceae > Typhonium

15. Typhonium griseum Hett. & Sookch.

Aroideana 24: 40. 2001. Plate XC: D–F.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Description : Seasonally dormant herb, 10–22 cm tall. Stem a small, short, tuberous rhizome, ca 2 by 1 cm. Leaves few together; petiole 7–20 cm by 1–3 mm, smooth, all green or the base with scattered or numerous, narrow, short, pale or dark reddish brown stripes; leaf blade orbicular (smallest leaves), cordate, triangular-cordate or elongate ovate, acute with a very short apiculum, ca 4–11 by 3–5 cm, basal lobes short, shortly overlapping to slightly divergent, rounded, adaxially green with a greyish flush, abaxially pale green with lower half of midrib quite strongly raised. Inflorescence developing after ca 3 leaves; peduncle subterranean, ca 10 by 2 mm, white; spathe linear, 11 cm long, lower spathe and limb separated by strong constriction, lower spathe and lower part of limb convolute; lower spathe ovoid, ca 10 by 7 mm, exterior dirty white, minutely brownish red punctate, slightly glossy, interior off white, clouded dirty reddish brown near constriction and slightly reddish punctate near the base; spathe limb 10 cm long, basal part (ca 15 mm) convolute (containing the staminate flower zone), elliptic, upper part linear, acute, ca 5 mm broad, slightly twisted and bending sideways, back of upper ¾ keeled, exterior dirty whitish with a very faint greenish or pale brownish hue, sometimes with scattered, short, narrow, reddish brown stripes, interior dirty whitish with a faint dirty greenish hue; spadix longer than spathe, ca 13 cm long; pistillate flower zone shortly conical, 1.5 by 4 mm, flowers congested; ovaries elongate, ca 1.5 by 0.7–1 mm, angular, lower part whitish minutely reddish punctate, upper part with a dirty greenish hue; stigma depressed, very thin, sessile, rounded or oval, dirty reddish brown with a pale green centre or pinkish; sterile interstice above pistillate flower zone with the basal 2 mm staminodial, the remaining 5 mm naked, filiform, white; staminodes narrowly fusiform, 1.5–2.5 by ca 0.5 mm, most sickle-shaped, slightly flexuous, acute, base slightly expanded, white; staminate flower zone cylindrical, 4 by 2.5 mm, flowers congested; stamens ca 1 mm diam., ca 0.5 mm long; anthers very pale pink; appendix filiform, acute, bending sideways, ca 12 cm long, lower part slightly fusiform, ca 2 mm diam., rest ca 1 mm diam., lower part very pale greenish, rest pale brown. Fruit not seen.

Thailand : SOUTH-EASTERN: Chon Buri (Hetterscheid H.AR. 44-T, holotype -BKF).

Distribution : Endemic.

Ecology : Not recorded.

Vernacular : Utta phit nu (อุตพิดหนู)(Chon Buri).

Notes: Typhonium griseum most closely resembles T. laoticum. The latter has a distinctly shorter spathe.