A taxonomic revision of Araceae tribe Potheae (Pothos, Pothoidium and Pedicellarum) for Malesia, Australia and the tropical Western Pacific

Abstract

. A regional revision of the three genera comprising tribe Potheae (Araceae: Pothoideae) is presented, largely as a precursor to the account for Flora Malesiana; 46 species are recognized (Pothos 44, Pothoidium 1, Pedicellarum 1) of which three Pothos (P. laurifolius, P. oliganthus and P. volans) are newly described, one (P. longus) is treated as insufficiently known and two (P. sanderianus, P. nitens) are treated as doubtful. Pothos latifolius L. is excluded from Araceae [= Piper sp.]. The following new synonymies are proposed: Pothos longipedunculatus Ridl. non Engl. = P. brevivaginatus; P. acuminatissimus = P. dolichophyllus; P. borneensis = P. insignis; P. scandens var. javanicus, P. macrophyllus and P. vrieseanus = P. junghuhnii; P. rumphii = P. tener; P. lorispathus = P. leptostachyus; P. kinabaluensis = P. longivaginatus; P. merrillii and P. ovatifolius var. simalurensis = P. ovatifolius; P. sumatranus, P. korthalsianus, P. inaequalis and P. jacobsonii = P. oxyphyllus. Relationships within Pothos and the taxonomic robustness of the satellite genera are discussed. Keys to the genera and species of Potheae and the subgenera and supergroups of Pothos for the region are provided. All species are illustrated.

Checklist of aroids (Alismatales, Araceae) from Sabah (Malaysian Borneo)

“…Pothos barberianus belongs to subgenus Allopothos, the Barberianus group. It can be detected easily from its inflorescence pendent by the sharply reflexed peduncle, spathe strongly reflexed and spadix only just exceeding the greatly enlarged peduncle (Boyce and Hay 2001). Distribution and ecology.…”

“…This species is variable in size and the development of its inflorescence is closely linked to the vigour of the plant or even of an individual branch (300% size difference). Pothos beccarianus has two different types of inflorescences colour, yellow (common) and dark pink (rare) (Boyce and Hay 2001). Distribution and ecology.…”

“…Identification. Pothos motleyanus belongs to the Goniurus supergroup (Boyce & Hay 2001), with the spadix with scattered flowers. Inflorescences carried on much abbreviated stems clothed in minute cataphylls and arising from the mid-parts (rarely the tips) of sterile mature stems.…”

“…In the 1990s, Peter Boyce turned attention to various Bornean aroid genera including Epipremnum Schott (Boyce 1998), Rhaphidophora Hassk. (Boyce 2001), and Pothos (Boyce and Hay 2001), and participated together with Baharuddin Suleiman and Jain Linton in an expedition to the Crocker Range where at its northern extremity stands Mount Kinabalu (Boyce et al 2002); their expedition resulted in a checklist expanding on that in Beaman and Beaman (1998). Also in the 1990s, Wilbert Hetterscheid began to publish on Amorphophallus Blume ex Decne., adding four species: Amorphophallus hottae Bogner & Hett., A. rugosus Hett.…”

Pharmacological and Phytochemical Updates on Pothos scandens L

“…In other parts of India, it is found in Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] The earlier phytochemical studies on the current plant reported to contain both primary and secondary metabolites. The preliminary phytochemical screening reported some of the several secondary metabolites from the different parts of plant.…”