ALOCASIA CRISPA

PROTOLOGUE: Alocasia crispa , published in Taiwania 71(3): 559–565 (2026).

Alocasia crispa Asih & Wibowo sp. nov.

Type: Indonesia, South Sulawesi, Latimojong Regency, Enrekang, Latimojong Nature Reserve, Mount Rantemario, 17 May 2013, BA935 (Holo: BO! subdivided into two separate sheets BO-2003754 & BO-2003755, Fig. S2). Living plant specimen cultivated in Bali Botanic Garden with accession number E2013060082.

DISTRIBUTION: Sulawesi.

DISTRIBUTION NOTE: South Sulawesi: Latimojong Mountains, Mount Rantemario (Enrekang, Latimojong Nature Reserve), recorded at two sites along the Latimojong hiking trails about 1 km apart.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION:

Terrestrial herb to ca. 73 cm tall. Stem shortly erect, developing in age into a decumbent rhizome. Cataphylls papery-fibrous, persistent. Leaves to 4 together, suberect to spreading. Petioles 38–54 cm long, glabrous, slender, pale greenish ivory densely mottled with an oblique pattern of crowded longitudinally-aligned dark brown fine lines. Sheath ca. ¼ length of petiole, wings persistent. Leaf blade triangular in outline, hastato-sagittate at the base, sinus slightly peltate, leathery, 29.4–32.7 cm × 17–22 cm, green adaxially, paler green abaxially. Anterior lobe broader at the base. Margin slightly undulate, with a thin, curly, narrow hyaline margin. Apex mucronate–aristulate for 4–5 mm. Anterior costa with 3 primary lateral veins on each side diverging at 40–90°. Midrib very prominent adaxially and prominent abaxially. Primary lateral veins prominent near to midrib and then flush to lamina near to the margin and somewhat flush to lamina adaxially, prominent abaxially, their distal portion often emitting subsidiary veins, especially on side facing posterior lobes. Secondary and tertiary venation towards the leaf margin joining to form an intramarginal vein. Axillary glands mostly conspicuous, creamy. Posterior lobes with the inner side lanceolate. Posterior costae diverging at 90–105°, peltate for 10% their length.

INFLORESCENCE:

Inflorescence to ca. 4 together, each subtended by narrowly membranous prophyll and surrounded by a single membranous persistent cataphyll. Peduncle 43–50 cm long stouter than the petiole, pale green mottled in pale brown lines not densely as the petiole and decrease near to the flower. Spathe ca. 10.4 cm long; lower spathe constricted 2–2.7 cm from the base. Lower spathe ovoid, yellow greenish. Spathe limb erect, then decurved after anthesis, elliptic, ca. 7.7 cm long, mucronate, externally glossy ivory greenish, interior ivory. Spadix distinctly shorter than the spathe, ca. 6.4 cm long, stipitate for ca 2 mm, white. Pistillate flower zone 7–8 mm long. Ovaries globose, ca. 2 mm long, ca. 2 mm diam., pale green. Style very short 0.5 mm. Stigma 2-3-lobed, yellowish. Sterile interstice coinciding with the spathe constriction, slender, ca. 12 mm long, with 4–5 whorls of rhombohexagonal synandria, pale cream. Staminate flower zone cylindric to subcylindric, 17–18 mm long, cream, loosely arranged, rhombohexagonal, synconnective not overtopping the anthers, the base constricted level with spathe constriction. Appendix ca. 2.5 cm long, conical, base narrower than adjacent male flower zone, irregular rugulose, pale cream. Infructescence unknown.

ECOLOGY:

Found on the rainforest floor, growing on steep slopes, in humid and slightly shaded places, between 1500 and 1900 m above sea level.

DISTRIBUTION MAPS:

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin crispus, “curly,” referring to the finely curled margins of the leaves, the thin, curly hyaline edge that sets the species apart from every other member of the Longiloba group.

NOTES:

1. Diagnosis: Alocasia crispa is morphologically similar to Alocasia celebica and Alocasia suhirmaniana by having peltate leaves, mottled brown petiole and papery-fibrous cataphylls. This new species is distinguished from Alocasia celebica by having a glabrous petiole; leathery hastato-sagittate blade and conspicuous creamy axillary glands, crisped hyaline margin onto the leaf blade (vs densely and minutely pubescent petiole; rather thickly coriaceous ovato-sagittate blade, and axillary glands inconspicuous, no crisped hyaline margin). Alocasia crispa also is distinguished from Alocasia suhirmaniana by having glabrous petiole and peduncle; leathery hastate-sagittate and crisped hyaline margin of blade, paler green abaxially, creamy axillary glands; spathe yellowish green; appendix narrower than male zone and tapering from the base (vs minutely puberulous petiole and peduncle; thinly leathery broadly ovato-sagittate and undulate margin blade, dark purple abaxially, purple axillary glands; spathe deep purple; appendix isodiametric with male zone flower and tapering in the upper third).

2. Alocasia crispa belongs to the Longiloba group, which the authors characterize by a markedly rhythmic growth pattern, membranous to chartaceous cataphylls that degrade into papery fibers, predominantly pendulous and peltate laminae, a spathe constriction corresponding to the sterile interstice, and a synconnective that does not overtop the thecae. It is the third member of the group recorded from Sulawesi, after Alocasia celebica and Alocasia suhirmaniana.

3. Alocasia crispa differs from Alocasia celebica by its shorter plant height, glabrous petiole, and the presence of very tiny curled hyaline structures along the leaf margin. Alocasia celebica is taller, reaching up to 1.5 m in height, with a pubescent petiole, entire leaf margin, and a thickly coriaceous and ovato-sagittate leaf, and its axillary glands and secondary leaf venation are inconspicuous. The available material of Alocasia celebica is sterile, so the inflorescences could not be compared.

4. From Alocasia suhirmaniana it differs in its green abaxial surface and green major venation, aristulate leaf tip, creamy axillary glands, yellow to ivory-greenish spathe and relatively short, narrow appendix; Alocasia suhirmaniana has pale grey-green major venation contrasting with the blade, a dark purple abaxial surface, purple glands, a deep purple spathe and a longer, thicker appendix. From Alocasia longiloba it is told by the sharply crisped hyaline structures on the leaf margins, an attribute not observed in any member of the Longiloba group, and by a narrower sterile interstice and a shorter, narrower appendix.

5. Described from a plant collected on May 17th, 2013, and grown on at Bali Botanic Garden. The authors recorded the species at two sites, each with fewer than 10 mature plants, an area of occupancy of 2 square kilometers and an extent of occurrence of 180 square kilometers, under high threat from conversion to coffee plantation and from the hiking trails, and propose it as Critically Endangered (CR) under the IUCN criteria.

REFERENCES:

1. Taiwania 71(3): 559–565 (2026) — protologue.