Orania archboldiana Burret, J. Arnold Arbor. 20: 198 (1939)

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
New Guinea present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Southern part ofNewGuinea, both Papua and Papua New Guinea. In Papua Orania archboldiana so far has only been collected from an area around Merauke, close to the border with the Western province of Papua New Guinea. In Papua New Guinea the species is found scattered in an area about latitude 6°10'S to 8°55'S and longitude 141°20'E to 144°13'E (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Habitat

  • On ridges in lowland tropical rainforest about 20 m above sea level. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Discussion

  • Prior to this publication (Essig 1980) Orania archboldiana was the only species known to have its leaflets arranged in more than one plane (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Conservation

  • Near Threatened (NT). The palm is known from seven different localities with a wide extent of occurrence but wherever it occurs, the vegetation is subject to extensive logging and disturbance from oil and gas extraction. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Etymology

  • Richard Archbold, an entrepreneur who financed several botanical expeditions. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Description

  • Small to medium palm. Trunk up to 15 m tall, c. 6 - 10 cm diam. near the crown. Leaves 6 - 10 in the crown, spirally arranged, c. 2.7 - 3 m long; leaf-sheath c. 22 - 30 cm long, 5 cm wide, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface densely covered with redbrown tomentum, margin disintegrating into fibres; petiole 90 cm long; lamina c. 1.6 - 2.25 m long, in middle part c. 1.5 - 2 cm diam.; leaflets elongate-lanceolate, regularly arranged, but held in more than one plane giving the whole leaf a plumose appearance, the proximal 3 leaflets crowded 1.5 - 2 cm distant in a group, otherwise c. 4.5 cm distant in middle part of rachis, distance between 2 leaflets in the proximal part c. 4.5 cm, otherwise c. 1.5 - 2 cm distant in middle part of rachis, leaflets c. 60 - 90 cm long, 3 - 4.7 cm wide, adaxial surface glabrous, except for sparse red-brown tomentum on the midrib, midrib thick, other ribs slender, glabrous, abaxial surface densely covered with white indumentum, redbrown tomentum on the margin and midrib, midrib massive, other ribs glabrous and slender. Inflorescence spreading, branching to 2 orders, c. 90 - 133 cm long; prophyll persistent, disintegrating into fibres from top to base; peduncle c. 30 - 45 cm long, covered with sparse red-brown tomentum; peduncular bract 1, woody, splitting in the middle, persistent, abaxially with sparse red-brown tomentum; rachis 60 - 88 cm long; first order branches c. 60 - 70 cm long; rachillae slender, straight, not conspicuously zigzag, c. 30 - 50 cm long, bearing 90 - 153 flower clusters, bearing distichously or subdistichously arranged triads in the proximal 3=4 and paired staminate flowers in the distal 1=4, the basal c. 0.7 - 2.5 cm devoid of flowers, triads c. 6 - 10 mm distant, rachilla surface glabrous. Staminate flowers with calyx of 3 united minute, scale-like sepals; corolla with 3 free petals, c. 4 × 1 mm; stamens 6, filaments free, dark brown, c. 0.75 mm long, anthers elongate-lanceolate, pale creamy-yellow, always free, c. 3 mm long each; pistillodes absent. Pistillate flowers with calyx of 3 minute united sepals; corolla with 3 free petals, c. 2 to 3 mm long, 1 - 2 mm wide; staminodes 6, c. 1=3 - 1=2 as long as the gynoecium; gynoecium dark brown, c. 1 - 1.5 mm long; stigma of 3 elongate lobes. Fruits globose or bilobed, c. 3.5 cm diam. Embryo placed below middle line of seed. Eophyll bifid. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Materials Examined

  • INDONESIA. Papua. Merauke: Kwell village, 2 Oct. 2000, R. A. Maturbongs RAM 655 (AAU, BO!, K!, MAN); R. A. Maturbongs RAM 656 (AAU, BO!, K!, MAN). PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Western: Oroville Camp-Fly R., Aug. 1936, L. J. Brass 7403 (A! Paratype); Lower Fly R., E bank opposite Stuart Island, Oct. 1936, L. J. Brass 8184 (A! Paratype); L. J. Brass 8225 (A! lectotype); Kiunga-Kiunga Subprovince, 10 Aug. 1971, Streimann & Katik LAE 51793 (K!, L!, LAE); Pawa Village on Oriomo R., Daru Subprovince, 16 July 1974, Foreman & Stocker LAE 60431 (L!). Gulf: Kikori distr., Kopi - Kikori road, 3 km NW of Kikori, 7°24?12.4?S, 144°13?56.?'E, 22 Nov. 2000, W. J. Baker 1104 (BO!, K!, LAE, AAU, NY, L). (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
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae