Aletris foliolosa

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Aletris foliolosa

Description

Leaves glabrous, ascending at first but usually spreading when mature and finally recurved, to 6(-10) cm by 4-7(-10) mm; Ovary 3-lobed, 2-2.5 mm long, ellipsoid or obovoid; Capsule ellipsoid or ovoid, to 7 mm long.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Borneo (Sabah present); Malaya present; Philippines (Philippines present), Gajolands present, Mindoro present, Mt Halcon present, Mt Kinabalu present, Mt Singalang present, North Sumatra present, Westcoast Res present
Malesia: Sabah (Mt Kinabalu) and North Sumatra (Gajolands and some volcanoes of the Westcoast Res., especially Mt Singalang), possibly also in the Philippines (Mindoro: Mt Halcon). Stapf's (1894) record from Malaya seems to be erroneous.

Notes

A. foliolosa and A. rigida were both originally described from Borneo, differing principally in size, but, as pointed out by several collectors in field notes (e.g. Sinclair and Sleumer), the range of intermediates is such that the characters Stapf used to separate them break down. The smaller form tends to occur at higher altitudes (above 2700 m) and does not occur in Sumatra.
Plants from Sumatra often differ from those from Borneo in having longer pedicels, but this character is too variable to be of taxonomic significance.
Liriope brachyphylla Merr. is known only from the type collection from Mt Halcon in Mindoro (Philippines: Merrill 5710). This collection falls within the above description of A. foliolosa, being somewhat atypical in that the leaves appear softer and the flowers fewer (up to 7 per inflorescence) than usual. Further material is needed to decide on the identity of the Philippine material with certainty.

Citation

Gibbs 1914 – In: J. Linn. Soc. Bot.: 164
Merr. 1921: En. Born.: 115
Doer. v. Leeuwen 1920: p. 98. – In: Trop. Natuur: fig.
Merr. 1922 – In: En. Philip.: 206
Doct. v. Leeuwen 1933: p. 251. – In: Verh. Kon. Ak. Wet. A'dam: f. 66
Merr. 1921: En. Born.: 115