Balanophora elongata var. elongata

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Balanophora elongata var. elongata

Content

Description

Dioecious plant, red-yellow to coral-red or red-brown. Leaves 7-20, spirally arranged, imbricate, gradually increasing in size upwards, elliptic, obtuse, 1-4½ by ¾-2¼ cm, colour red-yellow to red or dark redbrown, rarely butter yellow. Ovaries ellipsoid 270-300 μ by 160-180 μ.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Jawa (Jawa present); Malaya present; Sumatera (Sumatera present), Selangor/Pahang border, G. Ulu Kali, in dwarf forest on ridge at 1500-1700 m present, West Java present

Malesia: Sumatra and Java (most abundant in West Java), Malaya: Selangor/Pahang border, G. Ulu Kali, in dwarf forest on ridge at 1500-1700 m, on Pentaphylax auryoides. .

Uses

The tubers contain wax, often in great quantity, and are used in West Java (notably Tjibodas and on Mt Gedeh) for making torches, cf. ULTÉE ().

Notes

Easily distinguished from B. papuana in the leaves being spirally arranged. According to Dr. B. Hansen (in litt.) the new record from Malaya belongs undoubtedly to B. elongata to which it keys out without difficulty in the key in .