Alocasia hainanensis K. Krause.

Herbs, medium sized to rather small, evergreen. Stem short, epigeal. Leaves few together; petiole 28-32 × ca. 1 cm, slender, sheathing to ca. 1/2 length; leaf blade weakly peltate, ovate-sagittate, ca. 25 × 13 cm, thinly membranous, apex acute; posterior lobes ovate-oblong, 8-10 × ca. 5 cm; lateral veins 4 or 5 on each side. Inflorescences solitary; peduncle cylindric, slender, ca. 18 cm × 4-5 mm. Spathe ca. 6.5 cm, weakly constricted; tube narrowly ovoid, ca. 15 × 8 mm, glaucous; limb erect, narrowly oblong, ca. 5 × 2 cm, apex long acuminate. Spadix slightly shorter than spathe; female zone cylindric, 1-1.2 cm; pistil ovoid; style short; stigma ± 3- or 4-lobed; sterile zone narrowly cylindric, 6-7 cm × ca. 2 mm; synandrodes depressed, rhombic-hexagonal in outline, ca. 2 × 2.5 mm; male zone ca. 15 × 5 mm; synandria comprised of 6 stamens, rhombic-hexagonal, ca. 2 × 2 mm; appendix narrowly conic, ca. 1.1 × 0.3-0.4 cm, acute. Infructescence and fruit unknown. Fl. Nov.

Alocasia hainanica is very doubtfully distinct from A. odora and is apparently based on a depauperate form of that species. The Berlin isotype is in better condition than the Kew holotype and shows clearly the glaucous proximal spathe outside, which is typical of A. odora. The spadix, while depauperate, fits well with that of A. odora. As with several other species of Araceae described from Hainan, field work is required to verify its taxonomic status. The drawing that accompanies the Berlin isotype is somewhat stylized, especially in the depiction of the female zone.

In publishing Alocasia hainanensis, Krause appears to have been unaware of Brown’s earlier publication; Krause’s and Brown’s names are homotypic.

Secondary forests in valleys. Hainan [N Vietnam].