Microchirita in Peninsular Malaysia 
5 
in Microchirita ruthiae and M. sericea. Observations of the developmental stages 
(buds, flowering and fruiting stages) shows that Microchirita species produce flowers 
at a very early stage when they have only one or two leaves, then flower continuously 
throughout their short life (pers. obs.). Microchirita caliginosa and M. involucrata , 
and occasionally M. rupestris , are monopodial. 
In general, the hair type of the lamina surface is different in each Microchirita 
species. The type of hairs (whether pubescent, strigose or sericeous) and the density 
(sparse or dense) vary across the species. It varies from sparsely pubescent (M. 
involucrata ), to moderately densely pubescent (M. ruthiae ) to densely pubescent (M. 
caliginosa ), while M. rupestris and M. viola have sparsely strigose hairs. Furthermore, 
Microchirita sericea has densely sericeous hairs. The colour of the upper surface of the 
fresh lamina varies from yellowish green, whitish green to dark green, while the lower 
surfaces of Microchirita viola and M. caliginosa are sometimes reddish to reddish- 
green. This character is useful in the field. 
Some species have epiphyllous or crested inflorescences (. Microchirita ruthiae ) 
or they have cymose inflorescences (Af. involucrata and M. rupestris). The individual 
inflorescences of Microchirita are always up to 6-flowered or rarely more. 
Ridley (1905, 1908, 1923) relied on bract characters in his keys to Microchirita 
species, thus treating this character as diagnostic. Two species of Microchirita have 
conspicuous bracts: M. rupestris (saucer-shaped bract) and M. involucrata (foliose 
bract) (Fig. 1). 
There are differences in the size and indumentum of the calyx lobes but the 
differences are small. In general, the indumentum of the calyx of Microchirita caliginosa 
and M. ruthiae is similar in their glandular and eglandular hairs. Microchirita rupestris 
and M. viola have ciliate hairs while M. sericea has densely sericeous hairs. 
The shape of the corolla tube varies from slightly curved to more strongly curved 
downwards. The length of the corolla tube ranges from 1.4-5.5 cm and the width from 
2^1 mm. The colour of the corolla tube varies from cream, yellowish, pale purple to 
dark purple, to occasionally whitish. The throat colour for all Microchirita species is 
yellow or whitish, except for M. involucrata that usually possesses a dark red throat. 
The glandular hairs in the throat of the corolla in some species are translucent 
or glistening-translucent, bead-like hairs except for M. rupestris that has a cluster of 
hairs (not bead-like) around the corolla mouth. Microchirita viola differs from the 
other species in having conspicuously attractive golden yellow, glandular bead-like 
hairs that can be seen from the corolla mouth. 
In general, the corolla lobes are usually unequal in all Microchirita species, and 
the lowest lobe is the largest. Microchirita viola is distinct from all the other species 
by having the median lower lobe much longer than the other two lobes. The width 
of the lobes was measured from lobe to lobe (across). The width of the Microchirita 
sericea corolla reaches to 3 cm across while the rest are less than 2.5 cm wide and 
most range from 1.2 to 2 cm. The colour of the lobes is always much darker than that 
of the corolla tube and varies from whitish, pale blue, pale purple to deep purple or 
violet. The lobes may be striped or almost plain-coloured (Fig. 2). Microchirita viola 
and M. sericea have conspicuously striped lobes while the others possess faint stripes. 
