Orania timikae A. P. Keim & J. Dransf., Kew Bulletin 67: 155 (2012)

Primary tabs

no image available

Content

Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
New Guinea present (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A
Endemic to an area between Timika and Tembagapura in the vicinity of a copper mine concession in Papua. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Habitat

  • Orania timikae grows on a slope in forest transitional between lowland rainforest and heath forest at about 540 m altitude Other populations were seen and collected in the middle of a heath forest at about 435 m altitude. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Discussion

  • This species was found during fieldwork in 1998. It has been collected from a rather unusual and unlikely habitat for Orania heath forest. So far, only O. sylvicola in Sumatra and Borneo is known to grow in this type of forest. In the field O. timikae may look very similar to either O. dafonsoroensis or O. parva, but as well as the unusual habitat, O. timikae is distinct because it is the only member of the subgroup that possesses the subdistichous leaf arrangement, which persists through maturity. O. dafonsoroensis has the subdistichous leaf arrangement only at the juvenile stage. O. parva always has spiral leaf arrangement. As for O. dafonsoroensis, this species may have a potential use as an ornamental palm. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Conservation

  • Vulnerable (VU D2). Although the palm is known from a restricted area, the local vegetation is heath forest, unsuitable for agriculture, and receives some protection by virtue of its being within the PT Freeport concession. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Etymology

  • From Timika, the type locality (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Description

  • Small palm. Trunk 4 m tall, c. 10 cm diam. (dbh), internodes c. 1.5 - 2 cm. Leaves 6 in crown, subdistichously arranged, c. 3 m each long; petiole c. 2 cm diam., with dense red-brown tomentum; rachis c. 1.5 - 2 cm diam., with dense red-brown tomentum; leaflets regularly arranged - held in one plane, 23 leaflets on each side of rachis, c. 88 - 90 cm long, 5 - 6 cm wide, leaflets c. 10 cm distant, adaxial surface green, glabrous, with red-brown tomentum on the midrib and some of the other ribs, midrib thick, others slender, abaxial surface densely covered with white indumentum, red-brown tomentum on every rib and conspicuously on the base of leaflets, midrib slender. Inflorescence spreading, branching to 1 order, c. 150 cm long, with dense red-brown tomentum; prophyll persistent, c. 25 cm long, 3.5 cm wide, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface with red-brown tomentum; peduncle c. 100 cm long, glabrous; peduncular bract one, c. 150 - 160 cm long, 3 - 3.8 cm wide, persistent, woody, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface densely covered with red-brown tomentum, splitting in the middle, from top to the base, heavily disintegrating into fibres when old; rachis c. 50 cm long; rachillae slender, 10, c. 44 - 45 cm long each, bearing 80 - 85 flower clusters, bearing triads arranged in the proximal half part, the basal c. 3.5 cm devoid of flowers, triads c. 1 - 1.5 cm distant, rachilla glabrous. Staminate flowers reddish dark brown, with calyx of 3 united sepals, c. 1 - 1.5 mm long; corolla with 3 free petals, c. 8 mm long, 2.5 - 3 mm wide; stamens 6, 6 mm long, filaments always free, uniform, darkbrown, about 1 mm long, anthers elongate-lanceolate, pale yellow, always free, uniform, c. 5 mm long; pistillodes absent. Pistillate flowers reddish dark brown, with calyx of 3 sepals, c. 2.5 - 3 mm long; corolla with 3 free petals, c. 6 mm long, 4 mm wide; staminodes 6, uniform, c. 0.8 - 1 mm long; gynoecium dark brown, c. 4 - 5 mm long, 2 - 3 mm wide, stigma with 3 elongate lobes, 2 - 2.5 mm long. Fruits unknown. Embryo unknown. Eophyll apparently bifid (Dransfield 2003 pers. comm.). (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Materials Examined

  • INDONESIA. Papua. Fakfak: km 63 on road to Tembagapura Loc.1, 04°20'44''S 136°58'12''E, 7 Feb. 1998. C. Heatubun CH 173 (BO!, BH!, K!, L!, MAN!); path E at Mile 50 on road to Tembagapura, Timika, 4°17'14''S 137°1'1''E, 11 Feb. 1998, J. Dransfield JD 7667 (BO!, K! holotype, MAN). (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Bibliography

    A. A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190