Hydnophytum vitis-idaea Merr. & L.M.Perry

27. Hydnophytum vitis-idaea Merr. & L.M.Perry View in CoL — Fig. 30 View Fig

Hydnophytum vitis­idaea Merr.& L.M.Perry (1945) 21. — Type: Brass 12046 (lectotype selected here A; iso BM, BRI, K, L), New Guinea, Papua Province, 15 km SW of Bernhard Camp, Jan. 1939 .

Tuber globose, smooth, to 15 cm diam. Entrance holes conical 0.4–0.6 cm diam. Stems several, branching, to 45 cm long. Internodes rounded to angular, to 5 by 0.4 cm when sterile, 0.3–0.8 by 0.1–0.2 cm towards apices. Leaves scattered. Lamina broadly elliptic to orbicular; 0.3 by 0.2 to 1 by 0.5 cm; apex rounded, base tapered to obtuse; thick, recurved when dry, drying glossy below, wrinkled above, venation obscure. Petiole 0.05–0.1 cm; stipules minute, caducous. Inflorescences paired, sessile. Flowers [2] heterostylous. Calyx 4-dentate, to 2 mm. Corolla tube to 7 mm, with a narrow band of hairs below mouth of tube or glabrous; lobes 3 mm; uncus <1 mm. Short-styled flowers with anthers exserted, to 1.5 mm on 1 mm filaments; pollen 3-colpate, 84 μm, brochi 3 μm; stigma at level of anthers, not lobed. Long-styled flowers with anthers within tube at level of hairs, stigma exserted 2-lobed. Fruit to 4 mm, pink. Pyrenes oblong-obovoid, 2.5 by 1.5 mm; apex truncate; base tapered.

Ecology & Habitat — Mossy forest, 1 770–1 800 m. Tuber not inhabited by ants.

Distribution — Indonesia (Papua Province).

Conservation status — Vulnerable (VU) under criteria D2 with only two locations known about 300 km apart.

Additional specimen examined. Eyma 5069A (BO), Papua Province, Wissel lakes, Cape Weremoeka.

Note — The loose spreading branches and relatively large flowers characterise this species.