Areca jugahpunya J.Dransf., Kew Bull. 39: 13 (1984)

Primary tabs

https://media.e-taxonomy.eu/palmae/photos/palm_tc_14571_1.jpg

Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Borneo present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Borneo, Sarawak, 7th Division, known only from the type collection (see above). (Dransfield, J. 1984: The genus Areca (Palmae: Arecoideae) in Borneo)A

Discussion

  • A. jugahpunya is an extraordinary species. The inflorescence is remarkably robust and the staminate flowers perhaps larger than in any other species of Areca; furthermore the petals of the staminate flower are conspicuously con- nate at the base. The fruit, even in an immature state is massive. These features, together with the acaulescent habit, must lend a very strange aspect to the palm in the field. Despite its anomalous features, the uniseriate arrangement of the staminate flowers indicates a position within section Arecella, where it is probably closest to a new taxon from northern Sumatra and Trengganu. (Dransfield, J. 1984: The genus Areca (Palmae: Arecoideae) in Borneo)A

Diagnosis

  • mira, acaulescens, robusta 6-staminata ad sectionem Arecellam pertinens sed habitu, inflorescentia erecta robustaque, floribus staminatis egregie magnis petalis basaliter connatis dis- tinctissima. (Dransfield, J. 1984: The genus Areca (Palmae: Arecoideae) in Borneo)A

Biology And Ecology

  • Cited as growing near river banks. (Dransfield, J. 1984: The genus Areca (Palmae: Arecoideae) in Borneo)A

Etymology

  • This species (jugahpunya-belonging to Jugah, in Malay) is named for Jugah anak Kudi, well known plant collector of the Forest Department, Sarawak, who assisted in collecting the type, and who has accompanied me on many field trips, enlivening them with wit and great botanical knowledge. (Dransfield, J. 1984: The genus Areca (Palmae: Arecoideae) in Borneo)A

Description

  • Acaulescent undergrowth palm, stem ? solitary or ? clustered, c. 6 cm diam. (no further details available). Leaf sheath greenish yellow when fresh, drying pale brown, c. 30 cm long, split to c. 20 cm above the insertion opposite the petiole, the abaxial surface bearing scattered chestnut brown scales; ligule apparently not present. Petiole present but of unknown length, c. 1.5 cm diam. at base, adaxially channelled, abaxially rounded; whole leaf described as 2.5 m long; total number of pinnae not known but apparently few and very broad; penultimate leaflet 75 x 8 cm, somewhat sigmoid, 4-costate, acuminate in a driptip to 10 cm long; leaflets of apical pair very broad, 65 x 25 cm, 15-costate, the apical margin 15 cm wide with lobes to 5 cm corresponding to the adaxial folds, these further split along adaxial folds to 2 cm; abaxial lamina surface conspicuously striate when dry, paler than adaxial, both surfaces with scattered minute brown scales. Inflorescence infrafoliar, erect; prophyll not available; peduncle very short, c. 2 x 2 cm just above the clasping base, bearing about 20 stiff erect rachillae, those at the base forking near the insertion, to 24 x 0.7 cm, deep scarlet when fresh, proximally bearing 2-3 triads c. 3 cm distant distally bearing staminate flowers solitary or in pairs c. 1-5 cm distant, all ± uniseriate on one side of the rachilla. Staminate flowers green in bud, becoming white after anthesis, relatively very large (perhaps the largest in the genus), c. 18 mm long; calyx c. 3.5 mm long, tubular above a short solid base, with 3 low triangular lobes with minutely ciliate margins; petals 3, ± oblong, c. 15 x 4 mm, connate in the basal 5 mm, the tips blunt triangular; stamens 6, the filaments inserted on the corolla c. 2 mm above the base; anthers ± medifixed, c. 9 x 1 mm, pistillode absent. Pistillate flower bud c. 15 x 7 mm, ± ovoid, subtrigonous; sepals 3, imbricate, cucullate, connate only at the very base, the outermost to 15 x 7 mm, the innermost to 11 x 6 mm; petals 3, free, valvate above, imbricate below, c. 9 x 3 mm; staminodes apparently absent; ovary very immature in available specimen. Immature fruit fusiform, 5.5 x 1 cm, tipped by massive stigmatic remains. (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