Hydnophytum decipiens Merr. & L.M.Perry

20. Hydnophytum decipiens Merr. & L.M.Perry View in CoL — Fig. 23 View Fig

Hydnophytum decipiens Merr. & L.M.Perry (1945) 20. — Type: Brass 12684 ( lectotype selected here A; iso BO, BRI, L), New Guinea, Papua Province, 18 km southwest of Bernhard Camp, Idenburg River , Feb. 1939 .

Tuber ? 5–10 cm,spherical;surface smooth. Stems several,weak and pendulous, to 60 cm, much branched. Internodes 0.3–3 by 0.1–0.3 cm, thickest towards apices. Lamina ovate-lanceolate, 1.5 by 0.6 to 2.5 by 1.1 cm; apex blunt-acute to rounded; base tapered to acuminate. Petiole to 0.2 cm; stipules minute, caducous. Inflorescence paired, sessile. Bracts inconspicuous, to 0.1 cm. Flowers [2] heterostylous, club-shaped in bud. Calyx weakly dentate, 2 mm. Corolla tube 3–5.5 mm, glabrous within; lobes with a prominent apiculum at the tip. Short-styled flowers with corolla tube 4 mm, lobes 2 mm, anthers at mouth of tube; pollen 3-porate, 69 (67–75) μm, brochi 1.5 μm; style 2.6 mm. Long-styled flowers with corolla tube 5.5 mm, lobes 1–2 mm, anthers 3/4 way up tube, 1 mm long, sessile; pollen 47 (45–49) μm, style 6 mm, stigma exserted. Fruit 4 mm. Pyrenes ellipsoid, 2.5 by 2 mm; apex rounded with central rounded protuberance and slight abaxial ridge; base cuneate.

Ecology & Habitat — Mossy forest, 1 420–2 150 m; on branches of large trees. Tuber not inhabited by ants.

Distribution — Indonesia (Papua Province).

Conservation status — Vulnerable (VU) under criteria D2 with only two locations known about 55 km apart.

Note — This species is distinguished from H. alboviride [15] by its more elliptic leaves with a rounded apex, more slender stem and various floral characters. We include a Lam specimen from Doorman Top under this species. Valeton had intended to make this specimen, Lam 1475, the type for his manuscript species ‘vaccinifolium’ ( auct. non P.Royen). In using this name, however, Van Royen cited Lam 1641 as the type, a specimen we identify with H. alboviride , and which Valeton had intended (MS Leiden) as the type of a further manuscript species ‘condensatum’.