Hydnophytum sp. Surabi,Halmahera Is,Indonesia.

[Satoshi]

Field work in my friend.

He is the hunter of aqua plants.

He brought only two shares.

It is one of them.

I think that it is the first in japan.

 

Sea Level 300-400m.

It is said that it saw by the old tree of a coconut field.

It had grown so that it might hang down.

 

 

[Derrick]

Records of Moluccas Island Hydnophytum collections.

H. inerme (Gaudichaud-Beaupré) Bremekamp in Blumea 5, 1942, synonym H. gaudichaudii (Gaudich.) Beccari, in Malesia

Raccolta 2, 1884, basionym Myrmecodia inermis Gaudich,in Botanique 472,1830. However, this is almost certainly an

unrecorded (?) synonym for H. formicarum which surely does not fit this most unusual specimen?

H. ovatum Miq., Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 4:257 (1869) Beccari Malesia 2:p143 (1885). Type:- Ternate, Moluccas.

Teysmann & de Vriese sn. (L) Leaves are ovate, cordate at base and probably small; therefore, this seems a very

unlikely match. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum Vol xxvi. p26 (1945.) states, flowers are inclosed in alveoli.

H. spathulatum Valeton, Icones Bogoriensis t.340 (1912). Type:- Batjan, Moluccas. Smith sn. 2/9/1900 (BO). Not all

leaves are spathulate in these images. Icones Bogoriensis does not appear to be digitized, so I have no further information.

H. moseleyanum Becc, Malesia 2:150 (1885). [Figs. 3.1, 5.1] Type: Manus Is. Papua New Guinea. Moseley sn. 3/1875 (K)

Surely not a match?

[Frank]

Hi all,

 

I like the chances of this being H. spathulatum. The tell is going to be in the flowers with bracts in the enlarged nodes and with short red hairs on the calyx.  I can't see these well enough in the photos.  You should be able to tell with a good hand lens Satoshi.

 

 

Here is the page of photos from the description of Hydnophytum spathulatum that Derrick cited in the above post.  The labels for the numbers on the photo is in the next message after the photo.

 

Frank

[Frank]

Here is the translated version of the Hydnophytum spathulatum description:

TABLE CCCXL.

Hydnophytum spathulatum Val. n. sp.

Rubiaceae.

Fig. 1. Flowering branch. — Fig. 2. Part of a tuber section 1/4: — Fig. 3. Fructiferous node 3/1. — Fig. 4. Bud 6/1. — Fig. 5. Open flower corolla 6/1. — Fig. 6. Style 6/1. — Fig. 7. Dorsal and ventral view of stamen 10/1. — Fig, 8. Calyx 6/1. — Fig. 9. Drupe 5/1, — Fig. 10. Pyrene – dorsal surface and right side 6/1.

Tuber oblong 25 cm long, 10 cm wide. Branches numerous, a half meter, twiggy, widely ramose, thin, internodes up to 25-35 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, tetragonal, with subacute angles. Leaves subsessile with articulate base, obovate-spatulate at the apex, gradually tapering at the base to a short petiole, coriaceous, becoming black when dry. Center vein prominent, lateral veins partly submerged, visible on both surfaces, about 4 on both sides. Flowers clustered, about 5 mm high, nesting in axillary cushion-shaped tubercles, with very short membranaceous bracteoles at the base and surrounded by reddish hairs. Calyx is small, cupular, membranaceous, covered with scattered short red hairs. Corolla small, dry, 5 mm long, lobes oblong slightly shorter than the tube. Anthers erect, sessile, very narrowly ovate-oblong, blunt at the apex, notched at the base. Fauces densely barbate at the point of insertion of the anthers with clusters of soft hairs, covered between the anthers with dense hairs, long but not extending above them. Style very elongated, filiform, thicker at the upper 1/3 (in inflexed bud), stigmas short and papillose. Drupe small obovate-globose, narrow at the apex.

This markedly new species belongs to section ***B of BECCARI (see Malaysia II, page 124, Tables 32, 34, 27), a section well characterized first of all by the semi-nested in the axillary tubercles, surrounded at the base by bracteoles that are considerable at times, and covered with reddish hairs both on the calyx and on the bracteoles; also, by the obovate pyrenes rounded at the top.

BECCARI described three species of this group: H. tortuosum Becc., H. petiolatum Becc., both from New Guinea, and H. ovatum MIQ. from the island of Ternate. I have already added two new species: H. bracteatum VAL. and H. Kochii VAL. (see New Guinea part VIII, third volume, 1911). The sixth species that I have described was gathered by Mr. SMITH in the island of Batjan and has been cultivated for some time in the botanical garden where it grew very well despite its being damaged. Therefore, the description is based on herbarium specimens. It is easy to see that this species has much in common with H. ovatum MIQ and maybe even more with H. tortuosum (see BECC. table. 37, figs. 3 and 4 that are nearly identical with mine).

[above is pages 129 and 130 combined]

[Frank]

This is the original description of H. spathulatum in its original Latin and French in case you native speakers of Latin and French want to check something in the translation.

TABULA CCCXL.

Hydnophytum spathulatum Val. n. sp.

Rubiaceae.

Fig. 1. Ramulus florens. — Fig. 2. Pars sectionis tuberi 1/4: — Fig. 3. Nodus fructifer 3/1. — Fig. 4. Alabastrum 6/1. — Fig. 5. Corolla floris aperti 6/1. — Fig. 6. Stylus 6/1. — Fig. 7. Stamen a dorso et ventre 10/1. — Fig, 8. Calyx 6/1. — Fig. 9. Drupa 5/1, — Fig. 10. Pyrena a dorso et latere dextro 6/1.

Tuber oblongus nunc 25 cm. longus, 10 latus. Rami numerosi semimetrales virgati laxe ramulosi, graciles, intermedia ulteriora 25—35 mm. longa, 2—3 mm. lata, tetragona, subacutangula. Folia subsessilia basi articulata, obovato-spathulata apice rotundata basi sensim in petiolum brevem attenuata, coriacea, siccando nigrescentia. Costa media infra prominens, nervi laterales subimmersi, utrinque conspicui, circ. 4 utrinque. Flores in tuberculis pulvinatis axillaribus circ. 5 mm. altis glomerati nidulantes, basi bracteolis brevissimis membranaceis et pilis rufis circumdati. Calyx parvus cupularis membranacens pilis brevibus rufis appressis parce conspersus. Corolla parva, exsiccata in toto 5 mm. longa, lobis oblongis tubo paullum brevioribus. Antherae erectae sessiles oblongae demum anguste ovato-oblongae apice obtusae basi emarginatae. Faux ad antherarum insertionem fasciculis pilorum villosorum donsorum barbata, intra antheras pilis longioribus densis antheras haud superantibus obsessa. Stylus valde elongatus filiformis parte supriore 1/3 incrassatus (in alabastro incurvus) stigmata brevia papillosa. Drupa parva obovato-globosa apice constricta.

Cette espèce nouvelle très marquée appartient à la section ***B de BECCARI [voir Malesia II, p. 124 (Tab, 32, 34, 37)], section très bien caracterisée d'abord par les fleurs à demi-enfoncées dans des tubercles axillaires, entourées à leur base par des bractéoles quelquefois considérables, et couvertes de poils rousses tant sur le calice que sur les bractéoles, et puis par les pyrènes obovées ar¬rondies au sommet.

BECCARI a décrit trois espèces de cette section: H, tortuosum BECC., B. pet-olatum Becc. tous deux de la Nouvelle Guinée, et H. ovatum MIQ. habitant l'île de. Ternate. J'y ai ajouté déjà deux espèces nouvelles : H. bracteatum VAL|. et H. Kochii VAL. (voir Nova Guinea pars VIII, troisième fascicule, 1911), La sixième espèce que je viens de décrire, a été racoltée par Mr. SMITH dans l'île de Batjan et a été cultivée pendant quelque temps dans le jardin botanique où elle croissait très bien et dépuis s'est perdue. La description est donc faite d'après des exemplaires d'herbier. Comme on le voit facilement, l'espèce a beaucoup de rapports avec le H. ovatum MIQ. et peut être encore plus avec le H. tortuosum (voir BECC. tab. 37, fig. 3 et 4, qui sont à peu près identiques avec les miennes).

[jeff]

Bonjour

 

FRANK  what is this  book?

 

SATOSHI  it's a shame no flower .

 

but  may be these caracters here  :

 

Flowers clustered, about 5 mm high, nesting in axillary cushion-shaped tubercles, with very short membranaceous bracteoles at the base and surrounded by reddish hairs

 

are more discreminate.

 

jeff

[Andreas Wistuba]

What a wonderful species!!!!

 

I am absolutely thrilled seeing these pictures and hope it will enter cultivation

 

However, I do not think it's H. spathulatum.

 

1.) The caudex with it's ridges looks highly characteristic and unique. I think, Valeton would have mentioned this characteristic in his description.

2.) The leaves on Satoshi's pictures look ovate and not spathulate to me. 

 

Another new and undescribed species? The richness of Hydnophytinae species in New Guinea and the surrounding islands, such as Halmahera is absolutely stunning. There is still so much out there, waiting to be discovered!

 

What do you think?

 

All the best

Andreas

[Derrick]

However, I do not think it's H. spathulatum.

1.) The caudex with it's ridges looks highly characteristic and unique. I think, Valeton would have mentioned this characteristic in his description.

2.) The leaves on Satoshi's pictures look ovate and not spathulate to me

"BECCARI described three species of this group: H. tortuosum Becc., H. petiolatum Becc., both from New Guinea, and H. ovatum Miq. from the island of Ternate. I have already added two new species: H. bracteatum VAL. and H. Kochii VAL. (see New Guinea part VIII, third volume, 1911). The sixth species that I have described was gathered by Mr. SMITH in the island of Batjan and has been cultivated for some time in the botanical garden where it grew very well despite its being damaged. Therefore, the description is based on herbarium specimens. It is easy to see that this species has much in common with H. ovatum Miq. and maybe even more with H. tortuosum (see BECC. table. 37, figs. 3 and 4 that are nearly identical with mine)."

  If living material was used, then Theodoric Valeton certainly could describe salient features of the external tuber.) The Tropicos database notes that no type has been designated.  http://www.tropicos.org/Name/100204745

[Andreas Wistuba]

 

  If living material was used, then Theodoric Valeton certainly could describe salient features of the external tuber.) The Tropicos database notes that no type has been designated.  http://www.tropicos.org/Name/100204745

 

But the leaf-shape seems to be completely different to me?

All the best

Andreas

[Derrick]

FRANK  what is this  book?

 

H. spathulatum Valeton, Icones Bogoriensis t.340 (1912). Type:- Batjan, Moluccas. Smith sn. 2/9/1900 (BO).  Not all leaves are spathulate in these images. Icones Bogoriensis does not appear to be digitized, so I have no further information. 

 Hello Jeff.  You are missing the clues.  The Ic, Bog: XXIV. on the top left of Frank's illustration has already supplied the answer.

 Hello Frank.  This is impressive detective work. Is it possible for others of us to get digitized copies of Ic. Bog. (myrmecophyte info?) from the WWW.  

[Frank]

Jeff, as Derrick noted this is the type description that Derrick had listed for this species in message #2 of this thread.

 

Derrick,  I did not get this article from the WWW.  I xeroxed the pages from a physical copy of the book.  I live near the University of Michigan and I found out they had the book in their library using Worldcat - a worldwide catalog of books.  www.worldcat.org

 

Frank

[Derrick]

Of course otherwise known as the Spice Islands.  Bacan Island (Batjan in Dutch) sits relatively close to Halmahera Island (see maps) so perhaps there should not be much regional variation in hydnophyte species even though there is a probability that after seed has arrived over longer distances by birds, symbiotic ant species take over control of local distribution as found in the study by Maeyama et al. (2000.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maluku_Islands_en.png

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacan_islands

Maeyama T.  Matsumoto T. 2000.  Genetic relationship of myrmecophyte (Anthorrhiza caerulea) individuals within and among territories of the arboreal ant (Dolichoderus sp.) detected using random amplified polymorphic DNA markers.  Austral Ecology Vol. 25, 3, pp273- 282. Downloadable.

[Andreas Wistuba]

Maybe I am missing the point, but I see no clear indication why this species should be H. spathulatum.

Please advise, as I do not understand.

 

All the best

 

Andreas

[Derrick]

I am very dubious about descriptions made from one or a very few plant examples.  Until a lot more field work and probably other evidence such as DNA gives us more information regarding the range (or not) of natural variations in hydnophytinae species, I think current names may mean very little.  Identification for the plants in these images remains an open question.

[Satoshi]

Sorry,a photograph is only this.

A photograph will be carried,if I raise and flower blooms.

Please wait.

[Andreas Wistuba]

Sorry,a photograph is only this.

A photograph will be carried,if I raise and flower blooms.

Please wait.

 

I hope it flowers and sets seeds

All the best

Andreas

[Derrick]

H. ovatum Miq. (Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel) in Annales Musei botanici lugduno-batavi. vol. 4, Select Rubiaceae of The East Indian Archipelago, p257/8, (1869.)

(Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavum) http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/2547#page/286/mode/1up

Beccari Illustration http://plantillustrations.org/illustration.php?id_illustration=327540. Scroll down to best image.

Description. Translated from Latin. “(New) sp. Trunk globose, branches long, alternating and double-branched, acute on the upper surface and obtusely
 tetragonal on the lower; stipules short, wide, deciduous; leaves sessile or with a very short petiole, rounded oval, wide at the base, slightly notched or 
truncate, very obtuse at apex or rounded, coriaceous, very smooth, without veins on lower surface, with a pale bloom; flowers axillary, from tubercles. 
Very distinct species. Trunk globose, 2-inch in diameter, inside structure the same as above, covered with a pitted, wrinkled black cortex, perhaps because 
of exsiccation (drying). Stems or branches two feet long, or shorter, very ramose and nodose, with blackish wrinkled cortex underneath, dark brown and 
smooth above, tetragonal with acute angles. Leaves brown-black on the upper surface, with few veins and ribs but distinct, pale greyish white on the bottom 
surface with no veins or, only rarely, with 2-3 ribs on both sides, 1¼-1¾ inch long. Flowers only incomplete remains are left.”

Habitat/Range. Ternate Island, Moluccas Islands (Teysmann & De Vriese collection).

http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42963387#page/567/mode/1up

Becc. (Odoardo Beccari) Malesia Raccolta 2, p143, (1884).

(Malesia 2.) http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44197923#page/257/mode/1up 

Collections. (1859) Isotypes, Teysmann & De Vriese collections,

http://data.biodiversitydata.nl/naturalis/specimen/L%20%200057493

http://data.biodiversitydata.nl/naturalis/specimen/L%20%200057494 

(1874) Beccari collection http://apps.kew.org/herbcat/getImage.do?imageBarcode=K000761922 

(1921) Moluccas Archipelago, N Ternate Island, Foramadiahi Village.

http://data.biodiversitydata.nl/naturalis/specimen/L.2913993 

(1951) Epiphyte, flower white, in thinned forest, Moluccas Islands, Ternate Island, Puk v. east slope 1500m. (4921 ft.) 
http://data.biodiversitydata.nl/naturalis/specimen/L.2913996 

(1974) Vogel. Gregarious epiphyte, flower white, Open low forest to 20 m (66 ft.) with little undergrowth on hillside of red porous nickel soil. 
North Moluccas, Obi Isl., W. part, Jikodolong.

http://data.biodiversitydata.nl/naturalis/specimen/L.2914166 

Undated ?deVriese, Ternate http://data.biodiversitydata.nl/naturalis/specimen/L.2913994 

Undated Teysmann, Ternate http://data.biodiversitydata.nl/naturalis/specimen/L.2913995 

Undated, Ternate http://data.biodiversitydata.nl/naturalis/specimen/U.1561887