REINWARDTIA Vol. 21. No. 2. pp: 49‒53 DOI: 10.55981/reinwardtia.v21i2.4249 49 UPDATE ON ALOCASIA CUPREA K.KOCH DISTRIBUTION IN NORTH KALIMANTAN Received November 5, 2021; accepted August 29, 2022 NI PUTU SRI ASIH Research Center for Plant Conservation, Botanical Garden and Forestry, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bali Botanic Gardens, Candikuning, Baturiti, Tabanan, Bali 82191, Indonesia. Email: nieeputse@gmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4161-9235. DEWI LESTARI Research Center for Plant Conservation, Botanical Garden and Forestry, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Purwodadi Botanic Gardens, Jln. Raya Surabaya-Malang Km. 65, Pasuruan 67163, Indonesia. E-mail: itisme.dewi@gmail.com. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6321-1206. ABSTRACT ASIH, N. P. S. & LESTARI, D. 2022. Update on A locasia cuprea K.Koch distribution in North Kalimantan. Rein- wardtia 21(2): 49‒53. — Hitherto Malaysian Bornean A locasia cuprea K.Koch is a newly recorded species for North Kalimantan, taking A locasia in Kalimantan to 10 species. An identification key and photos of A . cuprea are presented. Key words: Ar aceae, Bor neo, distr ibution, diver sity, Kr ayan. ABSTRAK ASIH, N. P. S. & LESTARI, D. 2022. Kebaruan sebaran A locasia cuprea K.Koch di Kalimantan Utara. Reinwardtia 21(2): 49‒53. — Alocasia cuprea K.Koch sebelumnya ditemukan di Sabah dan Serawak, Malaysia, namun sekarang ditemukan di Krayan, Kalimantan Utara, Indonesia. Temuan ini menegaskan bahwa A locasia di Kalimantan sekarang terdiri atas 10 jenis. Kunci identifikasi jenis dan foto tersaji dalam tulisan ini. Kata kunci: Ar aceae, Bor neo, distr ibusi, ker agaman, Kr ayan. INTRODUCTION The last revision of A locasia in West Malesia and Sulawesi was conducted by Hay (1998), yielding 31 A locasia species. Since then, several new species have been described, six of which are from Borneo (Boyce, 2007; Hay, 2000; Kurniawan & Boyce, 2011; Wong & Boyce, 2016; Wong & Boyce, 2020) and two species are from Sulawesi (Yuzammi & Hay, 1998; 2002). These new species bring the total of A locasia in West Malesia and Sulawesi to 39 species, with 26 species officially recognized as originating from Borneo. Borneo, a center of A locasia diversity (Wong & Boyce, 2016), is estimated to have 50 A locasia species, the majority of which are endemic (Kurniawan & Boyce, 2011). Kalimantan is a large area in Borneo that is less well known (Kurniawan & Boyce, 2011). According to Hay (1998) and Kurniawan & Boyce (2011), it has acknowledged that there are only ten known A locasia species in Kalimantan. However, the A locasia reginae specimen with collection number Burley et al. 527 deposited in Harvard University’s Gray Herbari- um, is misidentified. A locasia reginae is restricted in Mulu National Park’s karst area (P.C. Boyce 2021, pers. comm., 13 November 2021). As a re- sult, there are only nine species of A locasia in Ka- limantan. This number is only 35% of the total number of A locasia in Borneo. This resulted to a great opportunity for fieldwork and a more inten- sive study of A locasia in Kalimantan. During fieldwork in 2016 in Kayan Mentarang National Park (KMNP), Krayan, North Kaliman- tan, many species of Araceae, including A locasia, were collected. Some species have not been for- mally described. A locasia cuprea K.Koch was known to be distributed in Sabah (Hay, 1998) and Serawak (Boyce, 2004), was also found in KMNP (Fig. 1). This first report on the distribution of A . cuprea in Kalimantan brings the number of Alocasia in Kalimantan to 10 species. MATERIALS AND METHODS Plant material was obtained from fieldwork in KMNP in May 2016. The material was cultivated in Eka Karya Bali Botanic Garden (EKBBG), Candikuning, Baturiti, Tabanan, Bali. The mor- phological characters were described based on this living collection. The habitat was recorded during the fieldwork in Pa’ Pulid forest, near to Pa’ Api http://dx.doi.org/10.14203/reinwardtia.v19i1.3850 https://dx.doi.org/10.55981/reinwardtia.v21i2.4249 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4161-9235 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6321-1206 REINWARDTIA 50 [VOL.21 village, Krayan, Nunukan, North Kalimantan. The identification key to A locasia species was made based on Hay (1998). RESULTS TAXONOMIC TREATMENT ALOCASIA CUPREA K.Koch Alocasia cuprea (C.Koch & Bouché) C.Koch, Wochenschr. Vereines Befoerd. Gartenbanes Koenigl. Preuss. Staaten 4 (1861) 141; Engl. in A. & C. DC., Monogr. Phan. 2 (1879) 509; Ridl., J. Straits Br. Roy. Asiat. Soc. 44 (1905) 179; Engl. & K. Krause, Pflanzenr. 71 (IV.23E) (1920) 110; Merr., Bibliogr. Enum. Bornean Pl. (1921) 104; Merr., Pl. Elmer. Born. (1929) 26; Burnett, Aroideana 7 (1984) 76, figs 2 & 3. -Caladium cupreum C. Koch & Bouché, Ind. Sem. Hort. Berol., Appendix (1854) 6. Type: Not located, presumed destroyed at B. Neotype: Cult. RBG Kew ex Borneo, N.E. Brown s.n., May 11th 1876 (K; lecto; selected by Hay, 1998). [Gonatanthus cupreus C.Koch, Wochenschr. Ver- eines Befoerd. Gartenbanes Koenigl. Preuss. Staaten 4 (1861) 141 - nom. in synon.]. [? Caladium metallicum Ed. Otto, Hamburger Garten-Blumenzeitung (1853) 517, nom. subnud.; Koch, Berlinen. Allg. Gartenzeitung. 1 (1857) 135]. [Colocasia cuprea Engl., Araceae Exsiccatae et Illustratae No. 253 [date not ascertained, see Hay et al. (1995: 174)] . -? sphalm. pro A locasia cuprea]. [Alocasia metallica Schott, Oesterr. Bot. Wochenbl. 4 (1854) 410, nom. nud.; Schott, Syn. Aroid. (1856) 46 (nom. superfl. pro Caladium cupreum); Hook., Bot. Mag. 86 (1860) t. 5190; Lemaire, Ill. Hort. 8 (1861) pl. 283; van Routte, Fl. des Serres & Jardins 21 (1875) t. 2208-9]. Herb to ca. 49.5 cm tall; rhizome erect; leaves 3–4 together; petiole to ca. 46 cm long, each subtended by cataphyll, green-green yellowish at the tip than gradually green and ivory reddish at the base, adaxially faintly mottled greenish, abaxially not mottled and paler color, sheathing in the lower ¼–⅓, green reddish at the margin; blades leathe- ry, peltate, ovate, bullate between the main veins, adaxially glossy silver-green, green darker near the primary veins and midrib, abaxially deep purple, with a hyaline colorless margin ca. 1.5 mm wide; anterior lobe with the tip cuspidate and mucronate 4 mm; anterior costa with 4–5 primary lateral veins on each side, proximal ones diverging at ca. 125° then arching forward and outward to join a sub- marginal vein, distal primary veins diverging at ca. 55°; all primary veins with very conspicuous axil- lary glands abaxially; secondary veins forming well-defined undulating inter-primary collective veins; posterior lobes completely united except for Fig. 1. Distribution of A . cuprea in Sabah (Boyce et al., 2002; Sulaiman & Shunmugam, 2010; Wong & Joling, 2021), Sarawak (P.C. Boyce 2021, pers. comm., 13 November), and Krayan (North Kalimantan) (Google earth and modified by Ni Putu Sri Asih (unpublished data)). : Sarawak : Sabah : Kalimantan ASIH & LESTARI: A locasia cuprea distribution in North Kalimantan 2022] 51 Fig. 2. Habitat of A . cuprea. A. A . cuprea in KMNP. B. A . cuprea cultivated in Bali Botanic Gardens. Photos by A. Dewi Lestari, B. Ni Putu Sri Asih. Fig. 3. Habitus of A . cuprea. A. The adaxial leaf. B. Flower which almost all male flower within lower spathe. C. Flower with artificial opened. D. The abaxial leaf. Photos by Ni Putu Sri Asih. A B A B C D REINWARDTIA 52 [VOL.21 a shallow retuse notch, rounded; posterior costae diverging at ca. 30°; inflorescences 2 paired, sub- tended by green brown reddish cataphylls; pedun- cle to ca. 20 cm long, pale green reddish at the base and green light reddish-green at the tip, not mottled; spathe green to greenish maroon, ca. 11.6 cm long; lower spathe oblong ovoid, ca. 5.5 cm long ca. 2.4 cm diam; limb about equal to the lo- wer spathe, at first erect and cucullate, then sharp- ly deflexed, separated from the lower spathe by an abrupt constriction at the top of male flowers; spa- dix considerably shorter than the spathe ca. 8 cm long, very shortly stipitate, 1.5–5 mm, the color is pale red, cylindric except appendix; female zone narrowly cylindric, ca. 2 cm long, ca. 1.2 cm wide; ovaries subglobose, longitudinally 3–4- ribbed; stigma raised on a slender style ca. 1 mm, conspicuously 2–(–4) lobed, yellow at female flower anthesis; sterile interstice not attenuate, isodiametric or slightly narrower than male, ca. 2 whorls of rhomboid synandrodia; male zone cylin- dric, ⅔ or all within the lower spathe, 2.7 cm long; synandria rhomboid, with the synconnective raised above but not overlapping the thecae; thecae opening by apical pores; appendix white, gradually tapering to the tip, blunt, faintly irregularly chan- neled, ca. 2.6 cm long; fruit unknown. Distribution. Bor neo: Sabah, Sar awak and North Kalimantan Habitat. Ter r estr ial, r iver bank to cliff of montane forest, sandy soil texture to leaf litter- covered brown humus soil, and open to moderate shade at 1,005 m asl. The soil where this species found in Kalimantan has 6.7 pH, and soil moisture 50%. Identification key to A locasia species in Kalimantan 1a. Leaf blades not peltate in adult plants …..……...……………………………......……………….…...... 2 1b. Leaf blades shallowly to completely peltate in adult plants ...…...…………….………........................... 7 2a. Leaf abaxially with prominent venation, interprimary vein well defined and leaf blade abaxially pubes- cent ….……….…………………………………….………………………………….... A. sarawakensis 2b. Leaf abaxially with no prominent venation, interprimary vein not well defined and leaf blade abaxially glabrous ……………………………...……………………………………….................................…… 3 3a. Leaf abaxially glaucous ........................................................................................................… A. robusta 3b. Leaf abaxially not glaucous ………………………………………………….……………..................... 4 4a. Male zone wholly exerted from the lower spathe chamber …………………………..... A. macrorrhizos 4b. Male zone half or completely within the lower spathe chamber .………….…….....…………………... 5 5a. Petiole about equaling length of leaf blade, blade very thickly leathery to almost succulent, ovato- sagittate to broadly ovato-sagittate .………………..…………………..............…..... A. scabriuscula s.l. 5b. Petiole much exceeding the leaf of leaf blade, blade thinly leathery to leathery but not succulent, nar- rowly triangular …………....……...………………………………………………………...…...……... 6 6a. Leaf blades dark green and leathery, peduncle relatively short, male zone about half enclosed within the lower spathe chamber …………………..……………………………….………...……….… A. princeps 6b. Leaf blades grey-green and thinly leathery, peduncle relatively long, and male zone fully enclosed with in the lower spathe chamber …………………....…………………...……………..….… A. principiculus 7a. Leaf slightly peltate to deeply peltate, membranous or occasionally thinly leathery, plants often unifoli- ar, stigma stellate ……..………....………...………………………………………………... A. longiloba 7b. Leaf strongly to almost completely peltate, thickly coriaceus, leaves several, the main venation and lamina border not white to pale grey-green adaxially, stigma rounded ….….…...…..……………..….. 8 8a. Leaf bullate among the main veins, inflorescence paired ………..……………….…………………….. 9 8b. Leaf not bullate among the main vein, inflorescence solitary ………………….…….…..…… A. peltata 9a. Leaf stiffly and thickly coriaceous, raised areas pale grey against a darker blade, abaxially pale green with the primary and margin veins purplish-brownish red, male zone ⅓–½ enclosed within lower spathe chamber ……….……………..…..……………....………………………….……….. A. baginda 9b. Leaf leathery, the bullate glossy bronze-green, abaxially the leaf and venation deep purple, male zone ⅔ within lower spathe chamber ………………………..………………………………………… A. cuprea TAXONOMY ASIH & LESTARI: A locasia cuprea distribution in North Kalimantan 2022] 53 Notes. In Kalimantan, A . cuprea is cur r ently found in Pa’ Pulid forest, mountainous forest, that located in Pa’ Api village, Krayan Distric. It is found in two small populations of three to seven individuals. This species found in Kalimantan differ from the former species in blade colour and number of primary veins. The blade colour of Kalimantan species is glossy silver-green adaxially with 4–5 primary vein, while the colour blade of the former species is glossy bronze-green adaxially with 8–11 primary vein. These variations, how ever, are common in A locasia species. The habitat of this species in Sarawak and Sabah is kerangas or heath forest (P. C. Boyce, 2021, pers. comm., 13 November). Kerangas forest has strongly acidic soil (Katagiri et al., 1991; Suratman et al., 2011). This condition differs with the soil in Pa’ Pulid forest, where the soil tends to neutral pH. These different habitat findings indicate that this species is quite tolerant. Hay (1998) said this species appear to be unaffected by substrate, occurring on ultramafic, limestone and sandstone areas. Specimen examined. INDONESIA, Nor th Kali- mantan, Nunukan, TN Kayan Mentarang, SPTN I Long Bawan, Krayan, Pa’ Pulid, 20 May 2016, Dewi Lestari 122/HK 1668 (Bali Botanic Gardens Accession E2016060025, THBB! BO!) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank Kayan Mentarang National Park (KMNP) for granting us permission to conduct research and collect plants, as well as Eka Karya Bali Botanical Garden (EKBBG) for funding the fieldwork. We are grateful to the EKBBG exploration team for collecting this plant, and Nursery and Conservation staff for maintain- ing plants in cultivation. Thanks to I Gusti Made Sudirga for preparing the herbarium specimen. We are also grateful for P. C. Boyce's excellent men- toring during the manuscript preparation. AUTHOR CONTRIBUTORS NPSA and DL are the principal author of this manuscript. Both authors analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. REFERENCES BOYCE, P. C. 2004. The Aroids of Borneo. Gardenwise 23: 11–13. BOYCE, P. C. 2007. Studies on the A locasia Schott (Araceae-Colocasieae) of Borneo I: Two new species from Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore 58(2): 141–154. BOYCE, P. C., SULAIMAN, B. & LINTONG, J. 2002. Araceae of the Crocker Range National Park Sabah: a preliminary survey, checklist and generic key. A SEA N Review of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation (ARBEC): 1–7. HAY, A. 1998. The genus A locasia (Araceae- Colocasieae) in West Malesia & Sulawesi. Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore 50(2): 221–334. HAY, A. 2000. A locasia nebula. Curtis’s Botanical Magazine 17(1): 14–18, plate 381. 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