Alocasia melo
About
A striking ornamental plant, *Alocasia melo* is notable for its highly rugose, thick, and nearly circular leaves, which resemble a cantaloupe melon. It is endemic to the ultramafic soils of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
Field notes
Morphology
The plant is a small herb reaching 25–35 cm in height. Its broad, leathery, peltate leaves are deep bluish-green on the upper surface and pale greenish-white below. The leaf blade measures 18–25 cm long and 15 cm wide, featuring a wrinkled and bumpy texture. The petiole is pale green with sparse burgundy spots, and the leaf structure includes an anterior lobe (12.5–16 cm) and fused posterior lobes (up to 8.5 cm).
Distribution & habitat
Endemic to Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, and thrives in ultramafic substrates.
Cultivation notes
Provide warm, humid conditions with shade from direct sunlight. The original 1997 cultivation account reports that plants were successfully grown in pots of ordinary loam under shady conditions at Sepilok.
History & etymology
The specific epithet 'melo' is derived from the leaves, which have a bumpy and wrinkled texture similar to the skin of a cantaloupe melon.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate