Myrmecodia jobiensis - possibly Myrmecodia pulvinata

[Andreas Wistuba]

Many years ago I introduced a plant into cultivation that I was quite convinced it was Myrmecodia jobiensis.

By now, I am sure, it is not! Instead, I'm quite convinced, it's something new.

 

This plant that originates from near Sorong (West Papua), an area also mentioned by Huxley and Jebb, fits the description of Myrmecodia jobiensis much better: 

 

 

 

Some characteristics fit very well, while others do not.

I dissected one of the first flowers that just opened recently and it fit's the descriptions in Huxley and Jebb and Beccari very nicely.

The arrangements of entrance holes in semi-circles and the sharply keeled leaf-midribs also are a perfect match.

 

A problem is the complete absence of spines around the alveoli but the plant has just started flowering right now. Experience shows that spines grow more and more when a plant ages and so I would still not rule out that they appear when the plant gets older.

 

 

Spineless alveolus - however the first flowers are just breaking through the surface:

 

 

 

From Beccari:

 

 

 

[Stone Jaguar]

Andreas:

Thanks for clarifying this. I had, in fact, wrote Frank O some time back that I found my plants from you are strikingly similar to M. tuberosa 'pulvinata' not M. jobiensis as definied by H&J 1993.

Not that I am complaining...the plants are wonderful, whatever they are!

I assume that you have examined key characters and determined they are not 'pulvinata'.

I think we all will rejoice when molecular work is done on this genus, the results published, and the concept of subjective lumping many obviously good species into M. tuberosa as varieties (?) is taken behind the barn and clubbed.

J

[Andreas Wistuba]

Andreas:

Thanks for clarifying this. I had, in fact, wrote Frank O some time back that I found my plants from you are strikingly similar to M. tuberosa 'pulvinata' not M. jobiensis as definied by H&J 1993.

Not that I am complaining...the plants are wonderful, whatever they are!

I assume that you have examined key characters and determined they are not 'pulvinata'.

I think we all will rejoice when molecular work is done on this genus, the results published, and the concept of subjective lumping many obviously good species into M. tuberosa as varieties (?) is taken behind the barn and clubbed.

J

 

 

Hello Jay,

here are pictures of a crushed plant of a Myrmecodia that fits quite well into Myrmecodia pulvinata.

IMHO, this matches M. pulvinata very well, except for the fact that it has pores on the caudex. However, depending on the quality of the herbarium specimen, I guess pores are a characteristic that can be missed easily.

In contrary, the plant that I once introduced as Myrmecodia jobiensis almost exclusively has undivided spines, while M. pulvinata is characterized by it's divided spines.

I find the almost perfect ball-shape of this doubtful species also very characteristic.

I'll post pictures soon, to illustrate, what we are talking about...

All the best

Andreas 

[Stone Jaguar]

Andreas:

 

This image was taken last November. As it matures, the plant consistently produces these club-shaped root spines on most of the lower portion of the caudex. Raised areas also becoming more conspicuous. Basket is 15 cm for size reference. This sp. does appear to be very temperature and photoperiod-sensitive in California. 

 

Do the root spines of the parent look like this on your end?

 

J

 

 

[Andreas Wistuba]

Andreas:

 

This image was taken last November. As it matures, the plant consistently produces these club-shaped root spines on most of the lower portion of the caudex. Raised areas also becoming more conspicuous. Basket is 15 cm for size reference. This sp. does appear to be very temperature and photoperiod-sensitive in California. 

 

Do the root spines of the parent look like this on your end?

 

J

 

 

Hello Jay,

that's very interesting. In my hands the spines almost always stay unbranched.

I will post images of a bigger plant tomorrow in a new thread. I may move your picture and this reply to the new thread in order to keep things sorted by species -I hope that's ok with you.

All the best

Andreas