Asterogyne martiana Information

Asterogyne martiana Information

Identification:
Stem solitary, erect, sometimes basally de-cumbent, 0.4-1.6(-3) m tall, 2.5-5 diam., dull brown to orange, not branched; inter-nodes (1-)2.5-3 cm long; aerial roots forming an irregular basal cone, each root 4-8 cm long, 0.3-0.4 cm diam.; pneumatodes brownish cream-coloured, conical, to 1 mm long. Leaves (6-)12-20, yellowish red when young, green when mature, the old ones sometimes persistent; sheath (8-) 11-16(-38) x 3 cm, with reddish brown tomentum, longitudinally splitting, the margins slightly fibrous; petiole (4-)20-68(-75) X 0.5-1.5 cm, keeled to channelled adaxially, rounded to angled abaxially, almost glabrous to densely brown tomentose, toward the base slightly fibrous at margins; midvein (33-)55- 79(-108) x 0.2-0.7 cm, greenish yellow, glabrous or with pinkish brown tomentum, slightly keeled adaxially, rounded abaxially; blade 0.4-1.3 x 0.15-0.3 m, light to dark green, deeply bifid at apex for 18-32 cm; primary veins 28-40 per side, emerging at 20-35� angle at midvein, prominent at both surfaces of blade, yellow when dry. Inflorescence branched to 1 order or very rarely spicate; peduncle (20-)34-70(-125) cm long, 0.4-0.7 cm diam., dorsiventrally compressed; prophyll 11-26(-36) cm long, 0.6-1.5(-2) cm diam., inserted at base of peduncle; peduncular bract 1, rarely 2, chartaceous, brownish cream-coloured, the indumentum same as on prophyll; first peduncular bract 20-31(-40) x 0.5-1.5 cm, inserted 0.5-2 cm above base of peduncle; second peduncular bract, when present, 15 x 0.5-0.9 cm, inserted 25-27 cm above base of peduncle; inflorescence rachis absent or 0.5-3(-7) cm long, 0.3-0.5(-1.2) cm diam., dorsiveintral to irregularly compressed, salmon to pink at anthesis and in fruit, glabrous or with indumentum same as on peduncle; rachillae (2-)3-5(-14), terete, erect in bud, slightly pendent in fruit, the colour same as inflorescence rachis, the tomentum white, f'arinose or short and appressed; basal rachillae (9-)14.5-22(-27) cm long, 0.4-0.6(-1.1) cm diam.; middle rachillae (8.5-)14-21(-23.5) cm long, 0.4-0.6(-1) cm diam.; apical rachillae (9-)15-22 cm long, 0.4-0.6(-1.2) cm diam., the sterile apex acute, 0.2-1.1(-5.5) cm long; flower pits spirally arranged, ca. 2-3 mm apart from each other, covered with a lower semicircular lip, 1-2 x 1-2 mm, the lip becoming reflexed in fruit. Staminate flowers oblong-obovoid in bud, 6-9 mm long, 2-3 mm diam., white at anthesis, the pedicel to 0.7 mm long; sepals oblong-lanceolate, 3.6-4.8 x 1 mm; petals oblong-lanceolate, 5-7 x 1-1.3 mm; stamens 6, the filaments united into a tube up to 5.4-7 mm long, the free parts 2.4-3 mm long, 0.3-0.5 mm diam., remarkably thinner at apex and therefore the anther versatile, white, without a papillate epidermis; connective slightly swollen, 0.7-1.1 mm long; thecae 0.7-1.6 mm long; pistillode 2-5 mm long, 1 mm diam., basally fused with staniinodial tube. Pistillate flowers oblong in bud, 6-8 mm long, 2.7-3.1 mm diam.; sepals oblong, 4-5 x 1-1.5 mm; petals oblong, 4.4-5.5 x 1.1-1.8 mm; ovary 1 mm long, 0.8 mm diam.; style 6-8 mm long; stiginatic branches 1-2 mm long; staminodial tube 3.9-5 mm long, the lobes 6, 1.5-2.1 mm long. Fruit ellipsoid to ellipsoid-ovoid, 0.8-1.2 cm long, 0.4-0.7 cm diam.; epicarp orange to red when young, purplish black at maturity; seed ellipsoid, 0.7-0.8 cm long, 0.4-0.5 cm diam.

Work in progress
Species Information currently being revised!

Distribution:

Native to, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama

Widespread in Central America: Belize (El Cayo, Stann Creek, Toledo), Guatemala (Izabal), Honduras (Atlantida, Colon, Cortes, Gracias a Dios, Santa Barbara), Nicaragua (Chonta-les, Jiinotega, Matagalpa, Rio San Juan, Ze-laya), Costa Rica (Alajuela, Cartago, He-redia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose), Panama (Bocas delrToro, Chiriquf, Cocle, Colon, Darier. Panama, San Blas, Veraguas), and in north-western South America: Colombia (Antioquia, Choco, Cordoba, Nariifo, Valle del Cauca), Ecuador (Esmeraldas). Common in the understorey of the lowland and mountain rain forests, in flooded and non-flooded areas; from sea level to 1400 m, but normally below 600 m.

Location: Central America (8.369490°N, -79.716797°E)

Observations