Licuala bakeri Barfod & Heatubun, 2022

Barfod, Anders S. & Heatubun, Charlie D., 2022, Seven new species of Licuala (Livistoninae, Arecaceae) from New Guinea, Phytotaxa 555 (1), pp. 1-16 : 2

. 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!).