4. Hapaline kerrii Gagnep.

in Notul. Syst. 9: 134 (1941). Type: Thailand, Satun, Kerr 14640 (holotype K!; isotype BK!).

Slender, tuberous, deciduous perennial herb up to 30 cm high. Stem: tuber compressed globose to sub-rhizomatous, 2 - 2.4 x 1 - 1.5 cm; rhizome unknown. Roots c. 0.25 mm in diam. Leaf: prophyll broadly linear-triangular, up to 10 cm x 5 mm, acute to slightly acuminate; cataphyll triangular, up to 10 cm x 9 mm, acute; petiole 9 - 20 cm x c. 2 mm; leaf blade elliptic-cordiform, 5.2 - 15.5 x 2.9 - 8.5 cm, thin-textured, dark green, margins smooth, apex acute to slightly attenuate, posterior lobes overlapping. Inflorescence: 1 - 4 together, emerging before the leaves, occasionally with them; peduncle 18 - 24 cm x 1 - 2 mm; spathe 5 - 8.5 cm long; spathe limb oblong-elliptic, 3 - 6.5 x 1 - 1.1 cm, apex acute, base decurrent into lower spathe; lower spathe spathe margins clasping, 1 - 1.5 cm x 1 - 1.5 mm; spadix 4.5 - 9 cm x 1 - 2 mm, free portion cylindric, 3.5 - 5 cm, tapering apically into a short appendix composed of free synandrodes. Flowers: synandria 3 - 4 x 1 mm, oblong in plan view; ovaries compressed ellipsoid to bottle-shaped, 2 x 1 mm, solitary; stigma capitate, c. 0.33 mm in diam, style c. 0.5 mm long. Infructescence: Unknown. (Fig. 4.).

DISTRIBUTION. Thailand. THAILAND. Chaiyaphum: Phu-Landca Forest Reserve, 1981, Vamanonda 3 (K spirit 4648!); Satun: Tung Nui, 17 March 1928, Kerr 14640 (holotype K!; isotype BK).

CULTIVATED. Cult. Bangkok, from plant brought from Saraburi without exact locality and grown in Kerr's garden, Mar. 19 - May 22 1930, Kerr 19462 (K!).

HABITAT. Evergreen forest, in crevices of limestone rocks; 100 m. Hapaline kerrii is known from only three collections and appears to be very rare in Thailand. However, it might be that it is simply overlooked in the field since the collections are quite widely scattered. The Vamanonda 3 collection grew well at Kew for a number of years but eventually rotted during the winter dormancy period. Collection notes made by Mrs D.J. Collins on the Kerr 19462 collection state 'Perfume - musk eau de cologne... Stem indistinct mottling of pinky grey and greyish white - sheath of stem pink'.