Typhonium edule K.Z.Hein & Naive, 2021

Naive, Mark Arcebal K. & Hein, Khant Zaw, 2021, Taxonomic studies of Araceae in Myanmar II: Typhonium edule, a remarkable new aroid species from Monywa District, Sagaing Region, Phytotaxa 513 (2), pp. 159-165 : 160-164

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.513.2.7
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/117787AF-FFD7-FFEF-D6A5-FACCFA32F8E3
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Typhonium edule K.Z.Hein & Naive
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Typhonium edule K.Z.Hein & Naive View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 )

This new species is morphologically similar to T. lineare Hetterscheid & Nguyen (2001: 25) in having pedatisect leaves with linear lobes, but differs in having wider spathe diameter 2.5–3 cm (vs. 0.8–1 cm), spathe limb 3–4 times longer than the tube (vs. spathe limb 7–9 times longer than the tube), downwardly curved sickled-shaped staminodes (vs. variously directed subulate staminodes) and strongly stipitate appendix (vs. weakly stipitate).

Type: — MYANMAR. Sagaing Region, Monywa District, Monywa Township , 22°08’03.82” N, 95°10’06.66” E, elev. 50 m, 5 August 2020, K.Z. Hein 030 (holotype TTM!, spirit collection) GoogleMaps .

Seasonally dormant herb, up to 25 cm tall. Tuber subcylindric, 3.5–6.5 cm long, 2.0– 2.5 cm in diameter, producing many filiform roots. Leaves 2 or 4; petiole of mature leaves green, base white or streaked brown, slender, 14.5–35.0 cm long, smooth,, basal 1/2 sheathed; lamina of mature leaves pedatisect with 5 to7 lobes, all lobes obovate or linear, chartaceous, glabrous, upper surface green, slightly glossy, lower surface pale green, anterior lobe 8.0–10.0 × 1.0–3.0 cm, apex obtuse or acute, posterior lobes 3.5–9.5 × 0.9–12 cm, carrying 2 or 3 lobes, first seasonal leaves trisect. Inflorescence solitary; peduncle subterranean, white, terete, up to 10 cm long. Spathe 17.0– 18.5 cm long; tube pink streaked brown outside, reddish brown inside, barrel-shaped, 4–5 cm long, 2.5–3.0 cm in diam., convolute, separated from the limb by a constriction; limb greenish yellow with brown mottling outside, yellowish white to pinkish white inside, linear-lanceolate, 13.0– 14.5 cm long, 1.6–2.2 cm wide at the base, base convolute, apex acute, curved. Spadix as long as or slightly longer than spathe, sessile, 17.0– 19.6 cm long; female zone shortly conical, ca. 0.6 cm long, ca. 0.9 cm in diam., with six rows of congested pistils; ovary translucent white, ca. 1 mm high, ca. 1 mm in diam., 1–locular with one basal ovule; style absent; stigma pink, sessile, disciform, ca. 0.5 mm in diam., papillate; sterile interstice above female zone 4.5–5.0 cm long, 0.3–0.4 cm in diameter, lower 0.4–0.7 cm covered with staminodes, upper part naked, white or pale pink; staminodes ivory or pale yellow, fusiform, sickle-shaped, curved downwards, ca. 0.6–0.9 cm long, ca. 0.1 cm in diam., glabrous; male zone cylindrical, ca. 1.0 cm long, ca. 0.5 cm in diam.; anthers pink; appendix stipitate, narrowly elongate conical to filiform, 10.0– 12.8 cm long, 0.3–0.4 cm in diam. at base, yellowish brown to brown, base obliquely truncate or lobulate, pointed at apex; stipe white, ca. 0.15 cm long. Fruit not seen.

Distribution: —The species is currently only known from Monywa and Budalin Township of Monywa District, Sagaing Region, Myanmar ( Fig. 5).

Ecology: —It grows in tropical dry forest with open to semi open canopy at elevations between 50–85 m asl.

Additional specimen examined (paratype): — MYANMAR. Sagaing Region, Monywa District, Budalin Township , 22°25’18.81” N, 95°02’11.34” E, elev. ca. 85 m, 16 August 2020, K.Z. Hein 033 (KKU!, spirit collection) GoogleMaps .

Phenology:—It flowers from July to August in the wild.

Etymology: —The specific epithet “ edule ” was coined after the Latin word edulis meaning edible, in reference to the inflorescence and the leaves of the species which are eaten by the local people.

Vernacular name and uses: —The species is known as ‘kyee-chay’ () by the Burmese people. They usually ferment the inflorescences and the leaves of Typhonium edule which will be cooked and eaten ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ).

Proposed conservation status: —This species warrants further observation and collection to determine whether there are known populations present in other areas. Owing to the insufficient information on its distribution and population size in the wild, we herein propose this species to be treated as ‘data deficient’ (DD) following the Red List criteria of the IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee (2019). Despite being listed as DD, this doesn’t automatically mean that the species is not threatened. Further surveys are needed, as there is insufficient information to assess the status of this species.

Taxonomic notes: —Aside from Typhonium lineare , this new species also morphologically resembles Typhonium pedatisectum Gage , an endemic species from Minbu, Magwe Region, Myanmar, but differs in having linear-lanceolate spathe limb (vs. broadly ovate spathe limb in T. pedatisectum ), externally greenish yellow spathe limb (vs. bright green spathe limb in T. pedatisectum ), spadix as long as or longer than spathe (vs. spadix shorter than spathe in T. pedatisectum ) and yellowish brown to brown appendix (vs. dark purple, almost black appendix in T. pedatisectum ).

The pedatisect leaves of T. edule also resembles T. bognerianum J.Murata & Sookch. and T. watanabei J.Murata, Sookch. & Hett. from Thailand. However, both T. bognerianum and T. watanabei are distinct from T. edule in the size of inflorescence, which are described as having spathe of 4.5–7 cm long (vs. 17–18.5 cm long in T. edule ), ovatelanceolate spathe limb (vs. linear-lanceolate spathe limb in T. edule ) and staminodes of 0.1–0.2 cm long (vs. 0.6–0.9 cm long in T. edule ). More detailed comparison between its morphologically allied species are presented in Table 1.