Aristolochia momandul
Content
Description
Twiner up to 6 m, sometimes scrambling on (tall) tree top up to 30 m.
Leaves chartaceous to coriaceous, lanceolate, elliptic, or ovate, (7-) 10-25 (-43) by (2-) 3-11 (-21) cm;
Inflorescences in axils of leaves, or cauligerous, paniculiform, rachis 4-19 (or more) cm long, with spacious internodes, densely hairy;
Stamens 6;
Capsules golden yellow or brilliant orange when ripe, oblong or ellipsoid, 5.5—9 by 3.5-4 cm, strongly 6-ridged, smooth (fine-granular under a handlens);
Seeds triangular or deltoid, 9-10 mm long and wide, smooth on both surfaces, not winged.
Distribution
Andai present, Asia-Tropical: Maluku (Maluku present), Biak present, Central Distr present, Halmahera present, Jappen present, Madang present, Morobe present, New Britain present, Oransbari present, Papua New Guinea present, Sepik present, Sorong present, West New Guinea present
Malesia: Moluccas (Halmahera), West New Guinea (Sorong, Oransbari, Andai, Jappen, Biak); Papua New Guinea (Sepik, Madang, Morobe, Central Distr.), New Britain.
Notes
The leaves of the present species are very variable, in shape, size, texture, and base, but flowers and fruit are uniform, the tailed buds and lobes being very characteristic.
As already pointed out by SCHUMANN it is related to A. deltant ha F.v.M. from Queensland, from which it can be distinguished by the tail-like apex of the perianth lobes; in A. deltantha the perianth is hardly lobed. The leaf variability is in both the same.
A. momandul was described on fruiting material. In 1914 LAUTERBACH associated flowering material with it (FORBES 621, the type of A. pithecurus RIDLEY). Because the species cannot be distinguished from A. schlechteri on vegetative characters, it will be essential to have fruit of the latter, to check whether LAUTERBACH's conclusion was correct. LAUTERBACH erroneously described his material to have 6 perianth lobes.
As already pointed out by SCHUMANN it is related to A. deltant ha F.v.M. from Queensland, from which it can be distinguished by the tail-like apex of the perianth lobes; in A. deltantha the perianth is hardly lobed. The leaf variability is in both the same.
A. momandul was described on fruiting material. In 1914 LAUTERBACH associated flowering material with it (FORBES 621, the type of A. pithecurus RIDLEY). Because the species cannot be distinguished from A. schlechteri on vegetative characters, it will be essential to have fruit of the latter, to check whether LAUTERBACH's conclusion was correct. LAUTERBACH erroneously described his material to have 6 perianth lobes.
Citation
SCHMIDT 1935 – In: E. & P., Nat. Pfl. Fam., ed. 2, 16b: 241
K. SCH. & LAUT. 1900: Fl. Deut. Schutzgeb. Südsee: 302
MOORE 1923 – In: J. Bot.: Suppl. 40
MERR. & PERRY 1942 – In: J. Arn. Arb.: 383
LAUT. 1914 – In: Bot. Jahrb.: 106
IGARASHI 1979: Food Pl. Papilionidae: t. 24
DING HOU 1983: p. 239. – In: Blumea: f. 5a, 6b, 7c.