Areca klingkangensis J.Dransf., Kew Bull. 39: 15 (1984)

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Borneo present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Borneo, Sarawak, 1st Division, known only from the type collection. (Dransfield, J. 1984: The genus Areca (Palmae: Arecoideae) in Borneo)A

Discussion

  • This species has smaller inflorescences and fruit than A. abdulrahmanii and A. andersonii, and may easily be distinguished by the pres- ence of 9 rather than 6 or c. 16 stamens. With these two species it forms a rather distinctive group within section Microareca. (Dransfield, J. 1984: The genus Areca (Palmae: Arecoideae) in Borneo)A

Diagnosis

  • inter species maiores sectionis Microarecae propter florem staminatum stipitatum A. abdulrahmanii et A. ander- sonii affinis sed staminibus 9 vice c. 16 vel 6 distincta. (Dransfield, J. 1984: The genus Areca (Palmae: Arecoideae) in Borneo)A

Biology And Ecology

  • I discovered this species growing in very wet mossy forest developed on an eroded sandstone block summit at c. 700 m altitude; for an account of its discovery see Dransfield (1982). (Dransfield, J. 1984: The genus Areca (Palmae: Arecoideae) in Borneo)A

Etymology

  • A. klingkangensis is named after the Klingkang Range, of which G. Gaharu is one of the higher summits, the range which separates Sarawak from Kalimantan Barat. (Dransfield, J. 1984: The genus Areca (Palmae: Arecoideae) in Borneo)A

Description

  • Erect, solitary, undergrowth palmlet. Stem to 2 m tall, c. 7-10 mm diam.; internodes green, 2.5-6 cm long, bearing scattered dull brown scales; nodal scars c. 3 mm wide. Crownshaft well-defined, pale green drying dull brown- ish, c. 25 x 1.5 cm, only slightly swollen; leafsheaths neatly abscissing, c. 10 cm long, longitudinally striate, bearing scattered dark brown scales; ligule c. 3 mm long, soon tattering and becoming lost. Leaf pinnate, excluding sheath to c. 55 cm, including petiole to 12 x 0.3 cm; leaflets 3-6 on each side of the rachis, distant, stiff, very coriaceous, narrow, 1-3-ribbed, concolorous, drying mid-brown, 22-40 x 0.7-1.7 cm, the longest near the base, the shor- test at the apex, acuminate except for the apical pair where tip minutely lobed; minute brown scales present on both surfaces, more abundant abaxially. Inflorescence infrafoliar, branching to 1 order, short, not exceeding c. 8 cm long, usually shorter; prophyll winged, c. 8 x 2 cm or less, bearing scattered scales; peduncle very short, c. 15 mm long, 5 mm wide just above the winged base; rachillae divergent, usually 3 only, to c. 6 cm long, c. 4 mm diam. at the base, tapering to the tip, bright reddish tinged, bearing abun- dant persistent low blackish scales, and sparse, caducous, chaffy hairs; triads rarely more than 2-3 at the base of each rachilla, the rachillae otherwise bearing spirally arranged paired or solitary staminate flowers. Staminate flower irregularly angled, markedly stipitate, especially those of the triads; stipitate base of calyx 0.5-2.5 x 1 mm, angled, glabrous, calyx lobes low c. 0.7 x 1 mm triangular, the margins smooth; petals valvate, glabrous broadly triangular, c. 2.5-3.5 X 1-1.5 mm; stamens 9, slightly irregular, borne on very short or obsolete filaments, anthers 1.8-2 x 0.5-0.6 mm, latrorse; pistillode lacking. Pistillate flower sessile; sepals 3, free c. 5.5 x 3.5 mm, imbricate, cucullate, sparsely hairy along the strong keel, minutely ciliate along margins; petals 3, imbricate, ovate, c. 4.5 x 5 mm, ciliate; staminodes 6, minute; ovary ± conical in bud, c. 2.5 mm diam. at base, tipped with 3 fleshy, angled stigmas. Young fruit greenish tinged; mature fruit known only in mummified condition, fusiform, 26 x 5 mm. (Dransfield, J. 1984: The genus Areca (Palmae: Arecoideae) in Borneo)A

Bibliography

    A. Dransfield, J. 1984: The genus Areca (Palmae: Arecoideae) in Borneo
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae