scallions's Favorites

A shrubby weed found growing with Breynia disticha in a planter bed. I had previously misidentified observations of the same plant as Exallage auricularia. Puff et al. (2021) in the Flora of Thailand account has stated that E. auricularia has pubescent leaves and stems, but the leaves and stems of this species are mostly glabrous except for being minutely hairy along the edges of the stem. This particular species keyed out to S. ocymifolia in Wong et al. (2019).

Pic 1-2: habit
Pic 3-4: detail of an inflorescence, with the corolla and bristle-like stipule
Pic 5-7: undersides of leaves
Pic 8-9: detail of teeth on edges of leaves
Pic 10-12: bristle-like stipules
Pic 13-14: 4-lobed calyx
Pic 15-16: oblong capsules (calyx after maturity) formed, each capsule containing 2 seeds. The swelling is localised at the base of the capsule, where said capsule will dehisce (split) from the base.
Pic 17-18: detail of corolla; corolla tube measuring about 2 mm long
Pic 19-20: oblong seeds, showing the ventral (pic 19) and dorsal (pic 20) seed surface. Note the reticulate dorsal seed surface.

Pictures taken between 11 Feburary and 8 July, same individuals observed.

There have been three Typhonium species recorded in Singapore so far: T. flagelliforme, T. roxburghii, and T. trilobatum.

T. flagelliforme can be distinguished from the other two from its narrowly spear-shaped leaves.

T. roxburghii can be easily confused with T. trilobatum.

Take out the spadix (inflorescence) from the spathe (bract) to distinguish between T. trilobatum and T. roxburghii.

T. trilobatum should have squiggly pistillate (female) flowers, as compared to the curved pistillate flowers of T. roxburghii. I have not found T. trilobatum yet, but I will upload another observation when I see an individual with flowers.

Link to paper summarising the differences of the T. trilobatum and T. roxburghii:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257952394_Four_frequently_confused_species_of_Typhonium_Schott_Araceae