Neoalsomitra clavigera

Content

Description

Herbaceous or (sub)woody perennial climber to 12 m long, hairy or (nearly) glabrous all over; Leaves: Fruit 4-8 cm long, glabrous or pubescent, base narrowed or rounded, at apex 1.2-2.5(-3) cm wide; Seeds many, ± unequal-sided star-shaped, 6-11 by 5-8 mm, margin (edge) of 5-7 coarse acute or blunt teeth, faces low tuberculate, wing 14-17 mm long to 8 mm wide.

Distribution

Africa: Northern Provinces (Northern Province present), Asia-Temperate: China South-Central (Yunnan present); Hainan (Hainan present); Taiwan (Taiwan present), Asia-Tropical: Borneo absent; Cambodia (Cambodia present); East Himalaya (Bhutan present); Jawa (Jawa absent); Laos (Laos present); Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present); Maluku (Maluku present); New Guinea present; Philippines (Philippines present); Thailand (Thailand present); Vietnam (Vietnam present), Australasia: Queensland (Queensland present), Cebu present, Central present, East Sepik present, Eastern Highlands present, Kedah present, Kei Archipelago present, Luzon present, Madang present, Mindoro present, Morobe present, Morotai present, Myanmar present, NE India present, North Sumatra present, Pacific present, Papua New Guinea present, Perlis present, Selangor present, Solomon Islands present, South China present, east to Fiji present, east to NE Australia present

NE India, Bhutan, Myanmar, South China (Yunnan, Hainan), Taiwan, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand,east to NE Australia (Queensland) and the Pacific (Solomon Islands, east to Fiji); in Malesia: North Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia (Perlis, Kedah, and Selangor), Philippines (Luzon, Mindoro, Cebu), Moluccas (Morotai, Kei Archipelago), New Guinea (Papua New Guinea (East Sepik, Eastern Highlands, Madang, Morobe, Central, and Northern Provinces)); not known from Java and Borneo.

Notes

1 A polymorphic species, varying in hairiness, number and shape of leaflets, and size and shape of fruit. The fruit varies in length from 4-8 cm and may be (sub)glabrous or hairy including densely pubescent (N. pubigera, from Myanmar). Fruit size varies especially in NE India and New Guinea, where large-fruited as well as smaller-fruited specimens have been collected; for example, fruits from New Guinea vary from 4-8 cm long, including fruits of c. 4 cm long with a comparatively broad apex, to nearly 3 cm diameter, and with a broad rounded base. The largest fruits contain the largest seeds. Alsomitra pubigera Prain var. glauca Craib is a limestone form with somewhat succulent leaves with rather short petioles. 2 Cogniaux’s figure 3a-h (1916), apparently from Peekel 328 (B†), was erroneously taken for the male flowers of Alsomitra schefferiana (a species not occurring in the Bismarck Archipelago in East New Guinea where Peekel collected), but represents N. clavigera; the collection Peekel 328 was also depicted in Peekel (1984). The small apical appendage of the anther obviously is exaggerated in the drawing, as normally this is much smaller or absent.

Citation

Merr. & L.M.Perry 1949 – In: J. Arnold Arbot.: 56

Cogn. 1916 – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 66: 16

Cogn. 1881 – In: A.DC. & C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 3: 933

I.Telford 1982 – In: Fl. Australia: 165

M.Jacobs 1954 – In: Blumea: 622

Peekel 1984: Fl. Bismarck Archip: 541: f. 863 (2).

Cogn. 1916 – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 66: 15

C.Jeffrey 1980: Cucurbitaceae E. Asia: 3

Wall. 1831: Pl. Asiat. Rar: 28: pl. 133

Cogn. 1916 – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 66: 15

F.Muell. 1877 – In: Fragm.: 107

Cogn. 1916: p. 15. – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 66: p.p., f. 3a-h

Hutch. 2008 – In: Fl. Thailand: 487

Keraudren 1975 – In: Aubrév. & J.-F.Leroy, Fl. Cambodge, Laos & Vietnam 15,: 12

C.B.Clarke 1879 – In: Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 634

Cogn. 1881 – In: A.DC. & C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 3

W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes 2003: p. 105. – In: Blumea: f. 1c

Harms 1925: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 152