JOURNAL OF TROPICAL BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION 6 : 35 – 37, 2010 35

A preliminary survey of Aroids (Family ) in Maliau Basin, Sabah, Malaysia

B. Sulaiman* and V. Shunmugam

School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden Penang. *email: [email protected]

ABSTRACTT. Fourteen Aroids genera The family is defi ned by having minute (Family Araceae) were collected during a sessile fl owers on spadix and covered by a fi eld expedition to Maliau Basin from 11 to spathe. Depending on the , the spadix 15 March 2005. The genera are Aglaonema may bear either unisexual or bisexual (A. nitidum); Alocasia (A. cuprea, A. fl owers. Most of the climbers have bisexual longiloba, A. princeps, A. macrorrhiza, A. type of fl owers while others have unisexual scabriuscula); Amorphophallus (A. sp.); fl owers. Ecologically, aroids can be found in (A. medium); Anadendrum (A. streams, ponds and canals, terrestrial habitats, montanum); Colocasia (C. esculenta, C. tidal mud, swamps and wasteland, forest oresbia); Homalomena (H. humilis, H. fl oor, climbers, epiphytes and rheophytes. sp.1, H. sp.2); Aridarum (A. nicolsonii); Some aroids species such as Homalomena Bucephalandra (B. motleyana); sagittifolia, Homalomena coerulescens, have (Epipremnum giganteum); Pothos (Pothos been widely used as medicinal (Kress, sp.); (R. korthalsii); 1995). In addition, Typhonium fl agelliforme Schismatoglottis (S. calyptrata, S. viridissima, (syn. Typhonium divaricatum) have shown Schismatoglottis sp.) and (S. promising results in fi ghting cancer (Neoh, pictus). The most dominant genera found are 1992; Teo, 1996). Homalomena and Schismatoglottis. Most of the species, except Amorphophallus sp., were METHOD generally widely distributed along undisturbed riverbanks. It is generally concluded that most A preliminary survey on aroids in Maliau of aroids are found in wet areas particularly Basin, Sabah was conducted between 11 to along river banks. 15 March 2005. Several habitats including forested areas and riverside ecosystems were Keywords: Aroids, Maliau Basin, Malaysia. visited. The main study areas were riverine ecosystems of Sabandar river and Ginseng INTRODUCTION camp. Other sites included tracks to Sabandar Fall and Maliau Fall. The aroids or Family Araceae are abundantly found on the forest fl oor in tropical rainforests Each station was 100 m long and all the including in Borneo. The Araceae, comprising Araceae found were recorded. Specimens were nine subfamilies, 106 genera and 3200 collected and kept at the Herbarium, School of species, is mainly tropical and is distributed Biological Sciences. Identifi cation was based worldwide (Croat 1979, 1994). There are two on Henderson (1954), Bown (1988), Boyce major centres of species diversity, i.e. tropical (2004), Boyce et al. (2001), Hetterscheid & Asia and tropical America, with 43 and 36 Ittenbach (1996), Mayo et al. (1997), Hay indigenous genera, respectively. (1996a & b) and Bogner & Nicolson (1991). A 36 AROIDS OF MALIAU BASIN living collection was kept at the Floral Garden, Most of the aroids species were found Universiti Sains Malaysia for conservation along riverbanks, while Aridarum nicolsonii purposes. and Bucephalandra motleyana survived as rheophytic on granite. Genera such as RESULTS Anadendrum, Rhaphidophora, Scindapsus, Epipremnum and Pothos occurred mostly as Fourteen genera and 23 species of Araceae were climbers and Amorphophallus sp. survived found in the sites surveyed at Ginseng Camp, well under the canopy near the track to Maliau Sabandar river and Fall, and the track to Maliau Fall. Fall (Table 1). The species are Aglaonema (A. nitidum); Alocasia (A. cuprea, A. longiloba, The subfamily Pothoideae was A. princeps, A. macrorrhiza, A. scabriuscula); represented in only one species. Pothos sp. Amorphophallus (Amorphophallus sp.); is a climber found near the Maliau Fall. The Amydrium (Amydrium medium); Anadendrum subfamily was represented (A. montanum); Colocasia (C. esculenta, by Raphidophora, Amydrium, Anadendrum, C. oresbia); Homalomena (H. humilis, H. Epipremnum and Scindapsus. Rhaphidophora sp.1, H. sp. 2); Aridarum (A. nicolsonii); korthalsii thrived well along the river bank Bucephalandra (B. motleyana); Epipremnum of Salandar river as a climber. Other species (Epipremnum giganteum); Pothos (Pothos sp..); found include Anadendrum montanum, Rhaphidophora (R. korthalsii); Schismatoglottis Amydrium medium, Epipremnum giganteum (S. calyptrata, S. viridissima, Schismatoglottis and Scindapsus pictus. sp.) and Scindapsus (S. pictus).

Table 1: Aroids species (Family Araceae) in Maliau Basin, Sabah. B. SULAMAN & V. SHUNMUGAM 37

Philodendroideae, consists of fi ve genera expedition. We also thank Peter Boyce for and were found under the forest canopy near species confi rmation and the organisers of river banks. Homalomena humilis, H. sp.1 and Maliau Basin expedition 2005 on their hard H. sp. 2. were recorded. Schismatoglottis was work in making the expedition a success. represented by S. calyptrata, S. viridissima and one unconfi rmed species. Other species found REFERENCES were Bucephalandra motleyana, Aridarum nicolsonii and Aglaonema nitidum. This Bogner, J. & Nicolson, D.H. 1991.A revised classifi cation subfamily had the highest number of recorded of Araceae with dichotomous keys. Willdenowia 21: 35-50. species. Bown, D. 1988. Aroids, plants of the Arum family. Century Publication. 256 pp. The Colocasioideae subfamily was Boyce, P.C. 2004.The Aroids of Borneo. Folia Malaysiana represented by seven species.Colocasia esculenta 5 (3 & 4): 123-170. Boyce, P.C., B. Sulaiman & J. Lintong. 2001. Araceae and C. oresbia were found in open places of the Crocker Range National Park Sabah: A while A. cuprea, A. longiloba, A. princeps, A. preliminary survey, checklist and generic key. In scabriuscula and A. macrorrhiza were primarily Ghazally, I. & Lamri, A. (eds), A Scientifi c Journey forest species. Amorphophallus sp. of subfamily Through Borneo, Crocker Range National Park Sabah, Vol. I. Natural Ecosystem and Species Aroideae is the only terrestrial species found on Components, pp. 55-64. Universiti Malaysia the track near the Maliau Fall. Sarawak. Croat, T.B. 1979. The distribution of Araceae. In: Larsen, DISCUSSION K. Holm-Nielsen, L.B. (eds), Tropical Botany. Academic Press, London. Pp. 291-308. Croat, T.B. 1994. Taxonomic status of neotropical Bown (1988) noted that the high proportion Araceae. Aroideana 17: 33-60. of aroids that survive in high humidity and Hay, A. 1996a. The genus Schismatoglottis Zoll. & shaded areas are either aquatic or semi-aquatic Moritzi (Araceae: with a synopsis of the genus in Malesia and . Sandakania 7:31-48. plants. They are normally found as rheophytes, Hay, A. 1996b. A new Borneon species of Colocasia marginal and marsh species. Hence, it is not Schott (Araceae: Colocasieae), with a synopsis of unsual for the family to be concentrated mainly the genus in Malesia and Australia. Sandakania 7:1- in riverine and perennial habitats of the Maliau 30. Henderson, M.R. 1954. Malayan wild fl owers. Basin primary forest. . Malayan Nature Society, Kuala Lumpur. Pp. 213-243. A total of 14 genera of aroids, from 31 Hetterscheid, W. & Ittenbach, S. 1996. Everything you genera recorded in Borneo, were recorded always wanted to know about Amorphophallus, but were afraid to stick your nose into! Aroideana 19: during the expedition (ca. 50%) in the Maliau 7-131. Basin Conservation Area. Two Borneon Neoh, C.K. 1992. Typhonium divarricatum (Rodent endemic species, Bucephalandra motleyana tuber): A promising local in the fi ght against and Aridarum nicolsonii, were recorded in this cancer. Med. J. Mal. 47: 86-89. Kress, M. 1995. Medicinal chest from Malaysia jungles. area. Wings of Gold, Kuala Lumpur. Pp. 16-22. Mayo, S.J., Bogner, J. & Boyce, P.C. 1997. The genera ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of Araceae. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 350pp. Teo, K.H. 1996. Teknologi in vitro untuk pembiakan dan peningkatan hasil dan mutu tumbuhan. Siri syarahan We are grateful to Universiti Sains Malaysia Pelantikan Profesor 1995 / Bil.2. Universiti Sains (USM) for providing grant No. 309/ Malaysia. Pulau Pinang. 22pp. JKORP/42240. We wish to express thanks to the Dean, School of Biological Sciences (SBS), USM and Chairman of Environmental Programme, SBS, USM for funding our 38 AROIDS OF MALIAU BASIN