Neoalsomitra schefferiana
Content
Description
Perennial climber to 8(-30) m long, with one or few green stems somewhat carnose-woody at base, either slightly thickened, or base flask- or spindle-shaped, swollen, lower portion of main stem with ± hard green thorns 1-2(-4) cm long, apical shoots puberulous, glabrescent, with raised leaf scars;
Leaves:
Fruit many per infructescence, 1.5-2.5 by 0.7-0.9 cm, pubescent, glabrescent, base ± attenuate or rounded, apex truncate with minute style-remnants;
Seeds c. 15, obovate, 4-5 by 3-3.5 mm, base attenuate, finely or coarsely rugulose-warted, margin double 5-7-toothed or -tuberculate, wing 6-8 mm long.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Maluku (Maluku present); New Guinea present, SW Sulawesi present, Vogelkop Peninsula present, West Papua present, eastern Lesser Sunda Islands present
SW Sulawesi, Moluccas, eastern Lesser Sunda Islands, and New Guinea (West Papua (Vogelkop Peninsula)).
Taxonomy
1 Neoalsomitra schefferiana is characterized by its thorny stem-base, 3- or 5-foliolate leaves, and stamens of which the filaments are c. 3/4 connate.
2 The limited fertile material available suggests the existence of only one species, with 2 subspecies. The two subspecies chiefly differ in shape of the thorny stem-base and fruit size; the male perianths of a specimen from Seram (Kornassi 1433) are slightly larger than those from Timor. Because most collections are sterile and mostly the thorny base not recorded, such specimens are tentatively assigned to subsp. schefferiana. Subsp. podagrica is regarded as confined to Timor and the nearby islands of Semau and Alor.
The thorns are obviously homologous with leaves. Occasionally the bases of withered tendrils may resemble thorns. In the collections from Vogelkop of subsp. schefferiana (Avé 4835) some thorns are minutely furcate at apex.
The thorns are obviously homologous with leaves. Occasionally the bases of withered tendrils may resemble thorns. In the collections from Vogelkop of subsp. schefferiana (Avé 4835) some thorns are minutely furcate at apex.