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’.