Apoballis is a small genus of tropical aroids belonging to the family Araceae, within the order Alismatales. The genus is native to Southeast Asia, with its centre of diversity on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia; the range extends northward to Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, and Myanmar, and eastward to Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands including Bali, Lombok, and Timor.
Plants of the World Online currently accepts 14 species within Apoballis. The genus was segregated from the larger aroid genus Schismatoglottis, and some taxonomic authorities still treat it as a synonym of or subsection within Schismatoglottis. The combination name for each species carries the authorities S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce, reflecting the modern circumscription of the genus.
As members of the Araceae, Apoballis species share the family’s characteristic inflorescence structure — a spadix subtended by a spathe — and typically grow as herbaceous plants in humid tropical forest understories.
Distribution
Apoballis is native to Southeast Asia, centred on Sumatra (Indonesia). Its range extends north to Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, and Myanmar, and east to Java, Bali, Lombok, and Timor.
Taxonomy Notes
Apoballis is sometimes treated as a synonym of, or included within, the broader genus Schismatoglottis (Araceae). Plants of the World Online accepts it as a distinct genus of 14 species, with all modern combinations attributed to S.Y.Wong & P.C.Boyce.
