| Author: |
William Jack,
1823 |
| Family: |
RUBIACEAE |
| Origin: |
Andaman
Island, Borneo, Cambodia, Java, Malaya, Maluku, Myanmar, New
Guinea, Philippines, Sulawesi + Sumatera; Indonesia,
Thailand, Vietnam |
| Soil: |
Peat
- Epiphytic |
| Water:
|
Maximum |
| Sun: |
Medium |
| Thickness: |
25-30
Centimetres |
| Height: |
40
Centimetres |
| Flower:
|
White |
| Propagate: |
Seeds/Cuttings |
| Names:
|
- |
| Synonyms: |
I find the
genera a bit tricky, as there are so many synonyms. Like
this species, which Powo.science.kew.org list with these:
Hydnophytum amboinense Becc.
Hydnophytum andamanense, Odoardo
Beccari, 1885
Hydnophytum blumei Becc.
Hydnophytum
borneense Becc.
Hydnophytum coriaceum Becc.
Hydnophytum formicarum Kurz
Hydnophytum
gaudichaudii Becc.
Hydnophytum inerme,Bremek. ex Holthuis & H.J.Lam
Hydnophytum intermedium
Elmer
Hydnophytum leytense Merr.
Hydnophytum
membranaceum Merr.
Hydnophytum mindorense Merr.
Hydnophytum montanum Blume
Hydnophytum nitidum
Merr.
Hydnophytum orbiculatum Elmer
Hydnophytum
selebicum Becc.
Hydnophytum sumatranum Becc.
Lasiostoma formicarum, Spreng. |
This member of the Rubiaceae
family was described by William Jack in 1823. It's found in the jungles in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and
Malaysia. It is a epiphyte, and needs a lots of moist, but not much sun.
It can be reproduced both by cuttings and seeds. The caudex will get op
to 25 or even 30 centimetres, the branches 40 centimetres.
The caudex is hollow, and forms a perfect nest for the ants, which
protect the plant, and get a home and sweet sap in exchange. They might
also bring back nutrition for the plant.
It get a lots of white small flowers, and small red fruits.
H.
formicarum, have 6-12 pairs of veins in their leathery
leaves, brownish and rough
caudex with ridges, ant entrances only along the soil line, flowers
3-4 millimetres.
It is considered by Dr C. R. Huxley to be an ochlospecies, which
simply means a species that is so variable, it has not been possible
to define population parameters. That seems obviously, when the
plants from Cambodia was found.
Often confused with
H. moseleyanum
which have 3-4 pairs of veins in their slightly succulent, silverish
and smooth caudex without ridges, ant entrances spread all over the
lover half of the caudex, flowers 4-5 millimetres.
Sub-family: Rubioideae.
Tibe:Psychotrieae. Sub-tribe: Hydnophytinae.
In my experience, the seeds should be
sown within a week after opening the fresh fruit.
The genera name after Greek hydnon meaning
'tuber' and phyton meaning
'plant', after the swollen branches. The species name indicate it is
attracting ants.
It needs righter high humidity.
Hydnophyttnae KEY.
|
