Ooia

Scientific name

Ooia S.Y. Wong & P.C. Boyce

Family

Araceae

Similar genera

Anubias, Aridarum, Bucephalandra, Lagenandra, Piptospatha

Native distribution

endemic endemic:
(adj) restricted to a certain geographical location
to Borneo

Species cultivated

not currently cultivated

Adventive distribution

none

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

obligate or facultative rheophytesrheophytes:
(n) an aquatic plant that can live in fast-moving water currents
, occasionally lithophyticlithophytic:
(adj) growing in or on rocks
herbs; tolerates extended submersion but prefers emersedemersed:
see emergent
growth habit

Brief description

Small aroid. Stem erect or decumbentdecumbent:
(adj) (of stems) having a portion lying along the ground, with upper parts erect or ascending
, typically condensed; roots with adventitiousadventitious:
(adj) of an organ growing where it is not normally expected, e.g., roots growing from a stem
shoots. Leaves alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
to spiral; petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
sheath short, liguleligule:
(n) (1) a strap-shaped structure; (2) an often thin, membranous or hairy structure projecting from the top of the leaf sheath in grasses and a few other families; (3) the flattened part of the ray corolla in the Asteraceae
long, triangular; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
elongate-lanceolate to ellipticelliptic:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
or oblonceolate; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
typically with tubulartubular:
(adj) (of a corolla, perianth, calyx tube or other structure) (1) tube-shaped; cylindrical: narrow and elongate with more or less straight sides; (2) having segments fused into a tube (of any shape)
mucromucro:
(n) a short, sharp, abrupt point
; base cuneatecuneate:
(adj) wedge-shaped; triangular, with narrow end at the base
; venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
pinnatepinnate:
(adj) in the form of a feather; of, e.g., leaflets, lobes, or veins: arranged in two rows along an axis
with distinct marginal vein. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
and spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
emerging vertically from leaf axils, becoming horizontal or downturned at maturity; pedunclepeduncle:
(n) the stalk of a flower cluster or inflorescence
subequal to or longer than petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
; spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
stoutly ellipsoid, not constricted, pink, persistentpersistent:
(adj) (of leaves etc,) remaining attached; not being dropped or falling off
, gaping at anthesisanthesis:
(n) the period from flower opening to fruit set
, apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
cuspidate to acuminateacuminate:
(adj) tapering gradually to a point and forming more or less concave sides
; spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
. Infructescence a cluster of free berries,within spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
, finally disintegrating.

Natural habitat

along streams and by waterfalls in lower montane rainforests

Additional comments

Ooia is a genus of ten species.

  Ooia glans ; photo © S.Y. Wong & P.C. Boyce

Ooia glans; photo © S.Y. Wong & P.C. Boyce

  Ooia glans  inflorescence (spathes); photo © S.Y. Wong & P.C. Boyce

Ooia glans inflorescence (spathes); photo © S.Y. Wong & P.C. Boyce

  Ooia glans  inflorescence (spathe); photo © S.Y. Wong & P.C. Boyce

Ooia glans inflorescence (spathe); photo © S.Y. Wong & P.C. Boyce