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Hydnophytum from Wasur National Park - Merauke, South Papua - Indonesia


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Hallo :)

So glad to find this forum that discusses about the ant plants.

My name is Yuli Astuti, I'm a student of Mr. Septriyanto Dirgantara in Cenderawasih University.

He already post his topic about Myrmecodia three days ago.

So, I will finish my thesis to get a degree for the first time. But, I need help. I will happy if all of you can help me :)

I think this spesies is Hydnophytum formicarum. How about you?

Thanks before,

Yuli

post-1215-0-19687500-1453116715_thumb.jpg

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Hello, Yuli. I agree with Aurelien. It is the smooth tubered variant of H. moseleyanum that is particularly common on the seasonally dry southern side of New Guinea central ranges and on Cape York Peninsula in Australia.

The world still awaits a modern revision of Hydnophytum but here are links that indicate possible future changes to this species concept. 

H. moseleyanum var moseleyanum Becc. (Odoardo Beccari) published in Malesia raccolta 2, p150, (1885) (Malesia2.)

Type description http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44197923#page/264/mode/1up.

Image, tav.35, figs15-20 http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44197923#page/157/mode/1up

In key http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44197923#page/239/mode/1up .

Type, Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, on the equator north of New Guinea Island.

http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:apni.taxon:687675#tab_records

A Solomon Islands collection. http://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.k000772004

Synonyms, When finally published some of these may have infra generic status.

H. brassii, S. Moore, http://plants.jstor.org/specimen/k000761961.

H. camporum S. Moore, http://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.bri-aq0570117

H. forbesii Hook f. http://plants.jstor.org/specimen/k000761961

H. longistylum Becc. http://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.k000772003

H. mindanaense Elmer http://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.e00032343

H. oblongum (Benth) Becc. http://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.k000761960

H. papuanum Becc. http://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.k000761955

See Forster, P. I. in Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Dicotyledons, p435, (2002).

H. robustum Rech. http://herbarium.univie.ac.at/database/detail.php?ID=170851

H. stewartii Fosberg, http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8443412#page/22/mode/1up

 

H. moseleyanum Becc. var. agatifolium (Val.) com. nov., Jebb & C. R. Huxley in press.

See # 2 & 3 of the following herbarium sheets. Synonym H. agatifolium Val.

http://ibis.biologi.lipi.go.id/specimen_detail.php?&species_id=00V8PTDEQ0&spec=moseleyanum&genus_id=0064I6M6CD&gen=Hydnophytum&family_id=00124Q9AB2&fam=Rubiaceae.

 

The accompanying Dischidia, is probably the widespread species D. nummularia, yet it seems to have slightly bullate leaves.

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Here is a selection of H. moseleyanum images from the south coast of the Papuan Peninsula that can be used for comparison. Although a long way from your plants location. This form is found all along the New Guinea lowlands.

 

I give up. Somehow i duplicated these images but this badly programmed system will not allow me to cancel the duplicated images.  Indeed, it has now somehow hidden both.

 

Yuli. This link will provide images for comparison. Although a long way from Wasur, this form is very consistent along New Guinea's coast and on Cape York, Australia.

http://myrmecodia.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/610-hydnophytum-moseleyanum-siasiada-village-milne-bay-province-png/

 

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Hi Derrick,

 

Thanks for your help and confirmation!

 

Again this is very probably H. moseleyanum. However, our member Frank Omilian who is far more experienced with the Asian hydnophytes than I, has written this very useful guide, which should help you considerably

 

http://www.rareferns.com/Franklin%20Omilan%20article%20revision%209-08%20form%20vs%20moseley.pdf

 

This one is slightly different, with narrow and acute leaves, but I agree: the crassulacean leaves and smooth tuber are typical.

 

The best,

Aurélien

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This one is slightly different, with narrow and acute leaves, but I agree: the crassulacean leaves and smooth tuber are typical.

   Even on Cape York, Queensland, a slightly restricted area, there is some variation in leaf shape. Here is one example, but not a particularly good one from near the tip of the Cape. Note also the  difference in the tuber surface that is typical of these far north variants. 

  post-3-0-89346300-1453194429_thumb.jpg

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Again this is very probably H. moseleyanum. However, our member Frank Omilian who is far more experienced with the Asian hydnophytes than I, has written this very useful guide, which should help you considerably

 

http://www.rareferns.com/Franklin%20Omilan%20article%20revision%209-08%20form%20vs%20moseley.pdf

 

 

 

The leaf-midribs seem very prominent to me. I have some doubts that this is H. moseleyanum.

All the best

Andreas

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Bonjour

 

leaf shape are not the only determinants to these plants, we have also the tuber form and the flower .

 

when I see the malesian table ( voll II) the flower seem to me also important , like H.papuanum , H. longistylum ,H.moseleyanum ,it is not the same in form ,  in ring hair place , in anther place, in stigma place ,but may be is not important for you  ?

 

jeff

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