Cyrtosperma

Cyrtosperma
Cyrtosperma johnstonii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Subfamily: Lasioideae
Genus: Cyrtosperma
Griff.
Synonyms

Arisacontis Schott

Cyrtosperma is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. The genus went through considerable taxonomic changes in the 1980s, and as a result is now considered to be native only to Southeast Asia and some Pacific islands. Previously, the genus was thought to be widespread from Asia to Africa and South America, but the African and South American species were subsequently moved into separate genera. Cyrtosperma is now known to be most prominent in New Guinea. The genus Cyrtosperma is unique in this regard because it is the only known big genus in Araceae that is known to be found east of Wallace's line.

Cyrtosperma merkusii, or pulaka, is grown as a root crop in Oceania.

Species
Cyrtosperma cuspidispathum growing in Papua, image from iNaturalist user: gancw1
Cyrtosperma cuspidispathum inflorescence growing in Papua, image from iNaturalist user: gancw1

References

  1. 1 2 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ↑ Govaerts, R. & Frodin, D.G. (2002). World Checklist and Bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae): 1-560. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  3. ↑ Brown, Deni (2000). Aroids: Plants of the Arum Family. Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-485-7.
  4. ↑ Hay, A. (1988). Cyrtosperma (Araceae) and its Old World allies. Blumea 33: 427-469.