Benstonea papuana Callm. & Buerki, 2016

Callmander, Martin W., Keim, Ary P., Heatubun, Charlie D., Homot, Peter & Buerki, Sven, 2016, Lifting the curtain on our knowledge of New Guinean Benstonea (Pandanaceae), Phytotaxa 275 (2), pp. 168-174 : 171-173

Benstonea papuana Callm. & Buerki , nom. nov.

Basionym: Pandanus papuanus Ridley (1916:237) , nom.illeg. [non Pandanus papuanus Solms-Laubach (1883: 93) ]. Type:— INDONESIA [NEW GUINEA]. Papua Prov.: Mimika, Mt. Carstensz [now Mt Jaya], XI.1912, Kloss s.n. (holotype, BM [BM000958474]!).

Notes:— Benstonea papuana is based on a very poor collection made by Cecil Boden Kloss (1877–1949) while he took part in the Second Wollaston Expedition in Dutch New Guinea in 1912–1913 ( Ridley 1916). This species was the taxonomic entity accepted under the epithet “ odoardoi ” in the genus Pandanus Parkinson (1773: 76) by Merrill & Perry (1939) and Stone (1978). Benstonea papuana is a poorly known species differing from the other species of this group by its rounded free pileus at the base of the style ( Fig. 2D ). Brass 7190 represents a better-preserved collection than the type specimen and is a good representative of the morphology of this species.

Additional specimens seen: — INDONESIA [ NEW GUINEA]. West Papua Prov. : Teluk Wondama, Windesi, VII.1909, von Balen s.n. ( FI) ; Kota Sorong , Klasaman , Taman Wisata Alam , 29. V.2010, Heatubun et al. 1017 ( MAN). Papua Prov.: Mamberamo Raya, Idenburg river, III.1939, Brass 13620 ( A, BO, L) . PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Western Prov. : Palmer river, 2 mi below black river junction, VI.1936, Brass 7190 ( A, BM, BO, L, LAE) .

Benstonea permicron ( Kanehira 1940: 258) Callmander & Buerki in Callmander et al. (2012: 336) . Type:— INDONESIA [NEW GUINEA]. Papua Prov.: Nabire, Dallman river, 2.III.1940, Inokuma 603 (holotype, FU image seen: isotype, A [A00020067] image seen).

Syn.; Pandanus bintuniensis Wiriadinata (2009: 443) . Type :— INDONESIA [ NEW GUINEA]. West Papua Prov. : Bintuni Bay, Tanah Merah [from cult. in Bogor], XII.2005, Wiriadinata HW 13274 (holotype, BO!), syn. nov .

Notes: — Pandanus bintuniensis has been described based on a plant cultivated at the Research Centre for Biology of LIPI ( Indonesia Institute of Sciences) in Bogor. Its small rounded syncarp (3–5 cm in diam.) with its long pyramidal pileus ending with an acute somewhat beak-shaped stigma is highly similar to Benstonea permicron ( Fig. 2E ). The only morphological difference between Pandanus bintuniensis and Benstonea permicron relates with the width of the leaves (3.5–5 cm vs. 1–1.5 cm), however the authors do not consider this character to be sufficient to confidently discriminate these two species. We therefore consider Pandanus bintuniensis as a synonym of Benstonea permicron .

Additional specimens seen: — INDONESIA [ NEW GUINEA]. West Papua Prov. : Kabupaten Teluk Bintuni , Kampung Yakati , forest behind Kampung, 26.VII.2010, fr., Heatubun et al. 1063 ( MAN) ; Kabupaten Manokwari Selatan , Oransbari Distr. , Muari River , 24.II.2016, W. A. Mustaqim et al. 1529 ( BO). Papua Prov.: Kabupaten Paniai, Wissel Lake region, 23.II.1939, Eyma 4580 ( BO, L) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–B. Benstonea ihuana. C. Benstonea rostellata. D. Benstonea papuana. E. Benstonea permicron. A. Photo: P. Homot. B. Photo: T. Laman. C. From Heatubun 1253 (Photo: C. Heatubun). D. Heatubun et al. 1017 (Photo: C. Heatubun). E. Mustaqim et al. 1529 (Photo: W. Mustaqim).