Seven new species of Licuala (Livistoninae, Arecaceae) from New Guinea
Author
Barfod, Anders S.
0000-0002-6298-1823
Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark. & barfod @ bio. au. dk; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 6298 - 1823
barfod@bio.au.dk
Author
Heatubun, Charlie D.
0000-0002-1377-7375
Badan Riset dan Inovasi Daerah (BRIDa) Provinsi Papua Barat, Manokwari 98315, Papua Barat, Indonesia. Fakultas Kehutanan Universitas Papua, Amban, Manokwari 98314, Papua Barat, Indonesia. & Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW 9 3 AE, United Kingdom. & charlie _ deheatboen @ yahoo. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 1377 - 7375
charlie_deheatboen@yahoo.com
text
Phytotaxa
2022
2022-07-19
555
1
1
16
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.555.1.1
journal article
102844
10.11646/phytotaxa.555.1.1
94e685a2-2222-45f5-8304-57731829773a
1179-3163
6875611
.
Licuala bakeri
Barfod & Heatubun
,
sp. nov.
Type:―
INDONESIA
.
West Papua Province
:
Manokwari Regency
(now
Teluk Wondama Regency
),
Kowi
, near
Wondiwoi
village (ca.
9 km
south of
Wasior
),
950 m
,
2°48’14”S
,
134°32’22”E
,
24 February 2000
,
Baker
et al. 1059
(
holotype
K
!; isotypes AAU!, BO, L, MAN!).
Figure 1
Diagnosis:
―Differs from
Licuala bellatula
by having a non-bifid mid-segment. Differs from
Licuala essigii
,
L. flexuosa
,
L. sandsiana
and
L. lauterbachii
by its small size, mid-segment that is not wider, less than
2 mm
long flowers and uniseriate stamens.
Solitary understory palm,
1−2 m
tall.
Stem
about
3 cm
in diam., with
5–10 mm
long internodes and inconspicuous leaf scars.
Leaves
6−8(−10) in crown; leaf sheath breaking up early into a fine, brown, fibrous mesh; petiole
60−90 cm
long, about
5−7 mm
wide at the base, unarmed or with minute spines at the very base; lamina divided into 31−45 segments,
30−35 cm
long, all segments with 2 adaxial ribs, truncate, increasing in apex width from
4 mm
in basal segment to
12 mm
in mid-segment, indentation of individual segments
2−5 mm
long.
Inflorescence
35−45 cm
long, erect to curved with 5−6 first order branches; peduncle
10−12 cm
long; prophyll
12−14 cm
long, light brown chartaceous; peduncular bracts lacking; rachis erect to curved, straight to moderately zig-zagged; proximal rachis bract
13−15 cm
long, inserted
10−15 cm
above prophyll, with
1−4 cm
long, neat split along one side, glabrous, basally contained in prophyll to free; first order branch patent, the proximal one with
2−9 cm
long main axis, carrying 8−25 rachillae, these
3−9 cm
long, patent, sparsely pubescent to glabrous.
Flowers
hermaphroditic, solitary throughout, subsessile, elliptical to obovate,
1.5−2 mm
long, floral subtending bract inconspicuous; calyx about
1 mm
long, shortly fused with receptacle, breaking up regularly to about half way in three, apically obtuse lobes; corolla about
1.2–1.7 mm
long, lobes
0.6−1 mm
long; staminal tube fused to corolla for
0.4–0.5 mm
, staminal ring about
0.2 mm
high; anthers inserted in one level, rounded, ca.
0.2 mm
long; ovary globose,
0.5−0.6 mm
across; style ca.
0.5 mm
long; locules situated in the middle of the gynoecium.
Fruit
globose,
8−10 mm
across, mesocarp ca.
1 mm
thick, endocarp brittle, smooth.
Seed
endosperm with central cavity.
Distribution and habitat:
―North–western New
Guinea
from the Wandammen Peninsula in the West to Waropen and Yapen Island in the East. Also recorded further south in the southern foothills of the Sudirman Range. It grows in light, open forest
Conservation:
―Near Threatened.
Licuala bakeri
has a relatively restricted distribution. Deforestation due to mining concessions is a major threat in its distribution range.
Etymology:
―Named after William J. Baker, our esteemed colleague and long-time friend who is in charge of the Palms of New
Guinea
project.
Uses:
―The stem is used for arrows.
Local name:
―
Ansuni
(Yawa)
Notes:
―This palm is highly distinctive with its small size, unarmed petioles, finely divided leaves, and delicate inflorescence. It has the smallest flowers recorded in the genus so far.
Specimens examined:―
INDONESIA
.
Papua Province
: Fak–Fak Regency (Mimika Regency now),
540 m
,
4°17’11”S
,
137°1’2”E
, 1998,
Baker 883
(BO, MAN!, K!); Timika,
545 m
,
4°17’25”S
, 137°0’94”E,
11 February 1998
,
Heatubun 183
(AAU!, BO!, K!, MAN!);
435 m
,
4°20’26”S
, 136°58’7’E, 1998,
Witono 6
(BO, K!, MAN!); Yapen– Waropen,
750 m
,
1°47’55”S
,
136°17’58”E
, 1997,
Widjaja 6864
(BO, K!, L!).
West Papua Province
: Wandammen Peninsular, Wondiwoi Mountains,
800 m
,
2°45’S
,
134 °35’E
,
5 March 1962
,
Schramm 13349
(L!).