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Webbia. Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Geography 78(2): 117-121, 2023
Firenze University Press
www.fupress.com/webbia
WEBBIA
Journal of Plant
Taxonomy
and Geography
ISSN 0083-7792 (print) | ISSN 2169-4060 (online) | DOI: 10.36253/jopt-15057
Citation: Saibeh K. (2023) Two new spe-
cies of Ooia (Araceae) from Sabah,
Malaysian Borneo. Webbia. Journal of
Plant Taxonomy and Geography 78(2):
117-121. doi: 10.36253/jopt-15057
Received: August 28, 2023
Accepted: September 2, 2023
Published: October10, 2023
Copyright: © 2023 Saibeh K. This is an
open access, peer-reviewed article
published by Firenze University Press
(http://www.fupress.com/webbia) and
distributed under the terms of the Cre-
ative Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use, distri-
bution, and reproduction in any medi-
um, provided the original author and
source are credited.
Data Availability Statement: All rel-
evant data are within the paper and its
Supporting Information les.
Competing Interests: The Author(s)
declare(s) no conict of interest.
Editor: Yeng Sin Wong
Two new species of Ooia (Araceae) from Sabah,
Malaysian Borneo
K S
Faculty of Tropical Forestry, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sabah, Malaysia
E-mail: k_saibeh@ums.edu.my
Abstract. Two new species of Ooia (Araceae) from Sabah, Malaysia, Ooia sayapensis
Kartini and Ooia ulusenagangensis Kartini are described as new species. Both are dis-
tinguished from the only current Sabahan species, Ooia kinabaluensis (Bogner) S.Y.
Wong & P.C. Boyce by the presence of pistillodes at the pistillate ower zone.
Keywords: Araceae, Ooia, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo, rheophytes.
INTRODUCTION
Wong and Boyce (2010) dened Ooia by the spadix axis remaining fresh
through to fruit maturation and the spent owers shedding at the post-
anthesis. e group is monophyletic (Boyce and Wong 2016), accepting 10
species with the Ooia kinabaluensis (Bogner) S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce is the
only species recorded from Sabah and Brunei.
e spathes of the genus Ooia S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce are remarkably
similar in external appearance. However, the spadix at anthesis is critical-
ly crucial as the diagnostic characteristics in this genus (Wong and Boyce
2010). us, the present presence of about 5-9 spirals of pistillodes at the
base of the pistillate ower zone in the two species of Sabahan’s Ooia to be
described here apparently represents an undescribed taxonomic novelty com-
pared to the very few pistillodes in O. kinabaluensis.
Recognition of these two species, namely O. sayapensis and O. ulusena-
gangensiss will takes Ooia to three species in Sabah and 12 species on Borneo.
Ooia sayapensis Kartini, sp. nov. (Figure 1).
Type: Malaysia, Sabah, Sayap, Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark, 6o09.775’N
116o33.935’E at 938 m asl, 14 April 2019, Kartini BORH 2710 (holotype BORH!)
Diagnosis
Ooia sayapensis are dierentiated from O. kinabaluensis by having pis-
tilloides with about 5–9 spirals almost equalling 1/4 of the spadix length,
118 Kartini Saibeh
Figure 1. Ooia sayapensis – A: owering plant in habitat; B: Inorescence; C: whole plant; D: inorescence at onset of pistillate anthesis
(spathe articially removed); E: inorescence at later stage of anthesis – All from Kartini BORH 2710 – All photographs by Kartini Saibeh.
119
Two new species of Ooia (Araceae) from Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
and by the pink pistil (versus very few pistilloides and
white pistil). Inorescences smelling of isoamyl acetate
(fruity pear odour) at pistillate anthesis is a characteris-
tic shared with O. kinabaluensis.
Description
Medium-sized rheophytic herb c. 10–30 cm tall. Stem
rather elongated sometimes branched rhizomes, c. 15-20
cm long, internodes to c. 1.5 cm long, c. 1.5–2 cm diam.,
greenish brown to reddish brown; rooting along length,
strongly adhesive, c. 3–5 mm thick. Leaves up to 15 togeth-
er, loosely clustered at shoot tips and also distributed along
stem; petiole 8–15 cm long, c. 3 mm diam., sheathing at the
extreme base, the wings extended into a triangular some-
what marcescent ligular portion up to c. 1–1.5 cm; blade
weakly coriaceous, elliptic to ovate, c. 10–18 cm long × c.
4–6 cm wide, base cuneate, apex acute to shortly acumi-
nate c. 2 mm, blades dark green adaxially, abaxially light
green; midrib robust, adaxially less prominent, abaxially
prominent; primary lateral veins 8 on each side, alternating
with interprimaries, diverging at 30–40°, oen somewhat
reddish brown; secondary venation ne, adaxially more or
less obscure; tertiary venation adaxially obscure, abaxially
forming a faint tessellate reticulum. Inorescence solitary
with prophylls, with up to four produced in sequence each
interspersed by a foliage leaf; fragrance weakly isoamyl
acetate; peduncle erect, exceeding petioles, c. 16 cm long,
slender, pale green to reddish brown. Spathe subcylindric,
c. 3 cm long, reddish, persistent, apiculate for c. 2–4 mm,
nodding on an erect peduncle at anthesis. Spadix c. 2.5
cm long, stoutly cylindrical, sessile, obliquely adnate to the
spathe at the base; pistillodes present, conned to a robust
zone below the female zone of up to 5–9 oblique spirals,
slightly exceeding height of pistils, irregularly polygonal
at-topped, milky white, c. 1.1 mm diam.; pistillate ower
zone slightly obconic, c.1 cm long, c. 8 mm diam., pink-
ish; pistils laxly arranged, c. 1 mm high, c. 0.8 mm diam.;
stigma sessile, discoid, pale orange; interstice absent; stami-
nate ower zone c. 1.2 cm long, bullet-shaped, apically
obtuse; stamens minutely pubescent. Fruits completely con-
tained within the persistent spathe; berry sub-cylinder c. 2
mm height, c. 1 mm diam., at stigmatic remnant on top,
greenish.
Etymology
From Sayap + ensis, a sux denoting the place of
origin.
Distribution
Recorded only from Sayap substation, located at the
north of the Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark in Kota
Belud.
Ecology
Rheophytic on shaded Quaternary sandstones, riv-
erine boulders under wet upper hill forest between 900-
1100 m above sea level.
Notes
Ooia sayapensis occurs consistently on shaded
water-splashed boulders. is medium size rheopyhtic
herb have elongated sometimes branched rhizome-like
stem and rooting along its length.
Ooia ulusenagangensis Kartini, sp. nov. (Figure 2).
Type: Malaysia, Sabah, Ulu Senagang, Crocker Range
National Park, 5o22.00’N 116o01.656’E, 539 m asl, 17
April 2019, Kartini BORH 2711 (holotype BORH!).
Diagnosis
e presence of several rows of pistilloides at the
base of pistillate owers zone is a characteristic shared
with O. sayapensis. Ooia ulusenagangensis has a densely
arranged glassy white pistil, which is dierentiated from
O. sayapensis (laxly arranged pink pistil) and O. kinabal-
uensis (laxly arranged white pistil), as shown in Figure
3. e inorescences smelling of isoamyl acetate at pis-
tillate anthesis is very weak in O. ulusenagangensis com-
pared to the strong smell in O. kinabaluensis.
Description
Medium-sized rheophytic herb 10–30 cm tall. Stem
condensed, c. 5 cm long, c. 1.5 cm diam., greenish; roots
strongly adhesive, 3–5 mm thick. Leaves up to 15 togeth-
er; petiole 9–11 cm long, c.3 mm diam., sheathing at the
extreme base, the wings extended into a triangular some-
what persistent ligular portion up to 1/3 of the petiole
length; blade weakly coriaceous, lanceolate to oblong lan-
ceolate, c. 13 cm long × c. 4 cm wide, base cuneate, apex
acute, sometimes acuminate c. 3 mm, blades light green
adaxially, abaxially paler; midrib robust, abaxially promi-
nent; primary lateral veins 8–12 on each side, alternating
with interprimaries, diverging at 30°- 40°, oen some-
what reddish brown; secondary venation ne, adaxially
more or less obscure; tertiary venation adaxially obscure,
abaxially obsure or forming a very faint tessellate retic-
ulum (most easily seen in dry material). Inorescences
solitary with prophylls; no detectable distinct fragrance
or very weak fruity odour, peduncle erect, exceeding pet-
ioles, c. 16 cm long, slender, pale green to reddish brown.
Spathe subcylindric, c. 4 cm long, reddish, persistent,
apiculate for c. 7 mm; nodding on an erect peduncle at
120 Kartini Saibeh
Figure 2. Ooia ulusenagangensis – A: owering plant in habitat; B: Inorescence; C: inorescence at onset of pistillate anthesis (spathe arti-
cially removed); D: whole plant; E: inorescence at later stage of anthesis – All from Kartini BORH 2711. – All photographs by Kartini Saibeh.
121
Two new species of Ooia (Araceae) from Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
anthesis. Spadix c. 2.5 cm long, stoutly cylindrical, ses-
sile, obliquely adnate to the spathe at the base; pistillodes
present, conned to a robust zone below the female zone
of up to 5-9 oblique spirals, slightly exceeding height of
pistils, irregularly polygonal at-topped, milky white, c.
1 mm diam.; pistillate ower zone slightly obconic, 6–8
mm long, c. 5 mm diam., glassy white; pistils densely
arranged, c. 1 mm high, c. 1 mm diam.; stigma sessile,
discoid; interstice absent; staminate ower zone c. 1 cm
long, bullet-shaped, apically obtuse; stamens minutely
pubescent. Fruits completely contained within the persis-
tent spathe; berry sub-cylinder c. 2 mm height, c. 1 mm
diam., at stigmatic remnant on top, creamy.
Etymology
From Ulu Senagang + ensis, a sux denoting the
place of origin.
Distribution
Recorded only from Ulu Senagang substation, locat-
ed at the western end of the Crocker Range National
Park in Keningau.
Ecology
Rheophytic on exposed Oligocene sandstone, river-
ine boulders between 400-600 m asl. e surrounding
vegetation consists of disturbed hill dipterocarp forest.
Notes
Ooia ulusenagangensis occurs on exposed bare
rocks along river of open canopy forest and is frequently
exposed to dry conditions at times of low water. A some-
what persistent petiolar ligular about 3 cm long was
observed and easily seen in the living collection.
Key to the species of Ooia of Sabahan species
1a. Pistillodes absent or very few at the base of spadix...............
........................................................................O. kinabaluensis
1b. Pistillodes present in several spirals at the base of spadix ....
................................................................................................... 2
2a. Pistils lax, pinkish; Sayap, Kota Belud ............ O. sayapensis
2b. Pistil dense, glassy white; Ulu Senagang, Keningau ..............
................................................................. O. ulusenagangensis
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
anks to Universiti Malaysia Sabah for funding
this research grant under SDN22102 and GUG0608. is
study was carried out under Sabah Parks research per-
mit reference no. JKM/MBS.1000-2/2 JLD. 16 (155)
REFERENCES
Wong SY, Boyce PC. 2010. Studies on Schismatoglottideae
(Araceae) of Borneo XI: Ooia, a new genus and a new
generic delimitation of Piptospatha. Botanical Stud-
ies. 51: 543–552.
Wong SY, Boyce PC. 2016. Studies on Schismatoglottide-
ae (Araceae) of Borneo LI: Ooia revised, including a
reconsideration of Ooia grabowskii. Journal of Japa-
nese Botany. 91: 174-203.
Figure 3. Spadices of Ooia compared – A: O. sayapensis Kartini; B:
O. ulusenagangensis Kartini; C: O. kinabaluensis (Bogner) S.Y. Wong
& P.C. Boyce – All photographs by Kartini Saibeh.
