Benstonea Callm. & Buerki (Pandanaceae): characterization, circumscription, and distribution of a new genus of screw-pines, with a synopsis of accepted species Author Callmander, Martin W. Missouri Botanical Garden, P. O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166 - 0299, U. S. A. and Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève, CP 60, CH- 1292 Chambésy, Switzerland. martin.callmander@mobot.org Author Lowry Ii, Porter P. Missouri Botanical Garden, P. O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO, 63166 - 0299, U. S. A. and Département Systématique et Evolution (UMR 7205), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, case postale 39, rue Cuvier 57, 75231 Paris (Cedex) 05, France. Author Forest, Félix JodrellLaboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW 9 3 DS, United Kingdom. Author Devey, Dion S. JodrellLaboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW 9 3 DS, United Kingdom. Author Beentje, Henk Herbarium, Library, Art & Archives, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW 9 3 DS, United Kingdom. Author Buerki, Sven JodrellLaboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW 9 3 DS, United Kingdom. text Candollea 2012 2012-12-01 67 2 323 345 journal article 10.15553/c2012v672a12 2235-3658 5790002 2. Benstonea affinis (Kurz) Callm. & Buerki , comb.nova. ≡ Pandanus affinis Kurz in J. Bot. 5: 101. 1867 . Typus: INDONESIA . BangkaIsl .: Kurz ( lecto- : BO ) (designated by STONE, 1978: 13 ). = Pandanus merrillii Warb. in Perkins , Fragm. Fl. Philipp. 1: 50. 1904. Typus : PHILIPPINES . Palawan Isl. : San Antognio Bay , II.1903 , Merrill 840 ( holo- : B [ B100279959 ] image seen ; iso- : FI [ FI003946 ] image seen, NY , US [ US00086602 ] image seen), syn.nov. = Pandanus sarawakensis Martelli in Bull. Soc. Bot. Ital. 1904: 303. 1904 . Lectotypus (designated here): MALAYSIA . Sarawak ( Borneo ): Kuching , VIII.1865 , Beccari 350 ( FI-B [ FI003947 : ErbarioBeccari 11902, carpo.]!), syn. nov. Distribution and ecology . – Benstonea affinis is found in peat swamps and gallery forest/river edges from sea level to c. 500 m . It is a widespread species, distributed from Peninsular Malaysia to the Philippines , including Vietnam , Sumatra, Singapore , and Borneo. Observations. –This species is characterized by its 3 to 9 ovoid fruit heads crowded at the apex of an erect peduncle ( Fig. 4A ). STONE (1972 , 1978 , 1983a , 1993a ), mentionning some differences in dimensions of the fruit, recognized the two species placed in synonymy above, albeit with doubt. He wrote: “ Pandanus merrilli Warb . is so similar to P. affinis Kurz that, on the basis of herbarium material alone, discrimination is virtually impossible” ( STONE, 1983a: 208 ). Pandanus sarawakensis was described by MARTELLI (1904) on the basis of two syntypes : Beccari 350 and 1895 . The first of these, misprinted as 550 in MARTELLI (1904: 303) , is designated here as the lectotype because it comprises a sheet with a leaf and an infructescence deposited in the Beccari herbarium and a spirit collection of one syncarp in the associated carpological collection. Further taxonomic work is clearly needed for a better understanding of Benstonea affinis with respect to its relatives, especially B. ellipsoidea (Warb.) Callm. & Buerki (see below).