A revision of the Heterospathe elegans (Arecaceae) complex in New Guinea

Abstract

Three closely affiliated species of Heterospathe Scheff. (H. elegans (Becc.) Becc., H. humilis Becc. and H. versteegiana Becc.) from New Guinea are revised. They are reduced to a single species which is divided into two subspecies, and the new combination H. elegans subsp. humilis (Becc.) M. S. Trudgen & W. J. Baker is made. The subspecies can be readily distinguished by their growth habit. Epitypes are designated for the three previously published names, as informative material on the habit is not included in the existing type specimens. A new, potentially related species is described as H. pullenii M. S. Trudgen & W. J. Baker.

A monograph of Heterospathe (Areceae, Arecaceae) in New Guinea

“…In addition, one variety from Palau is placed in synonymy. Although three new species have been described in recent years (Trudgen & Baker 2008 from New Guinea, no further new species were discovered in this study.…”

“…Moore in Moore et al (1982: 122) have also become synonymous with Heterospathe. It was Beccari (1909) who first synonymised Barkerwebbia, but the genus was later resurrected by Martelli (1935) only to be placed in synonymy a second time by Beccari & Pichi-Sermolli (1955), a sequence of taxonomic changes described in more detail by Trudgen & Baker (2008). The monotypic Fijian genus Alsmithia was described by Moore (Moore et al 1982) and placed in the Clinostigma alliance, an informal higher group established by Moore (1973), which also contained Heterospathe.…”

“…The genus has so far not been treated in detail as a whole. A regional account exists from the Philippines (Fernando 1990), which accepted 11 species with two additional species (Fernando & Sotalbo 2001, Adorador 2019 being described from the region, and a subset of the New Guinea species was monographed more recently (Trudgen & Baker 2008). Here we present a revision of Heterospathe from New Guinea and adjacent islands, from the Raja Ampat Islands in the west to the Bismarck and Louisiade Archipelagos in the east.…”

“…Bismarck Range, Schlechter 14071 (holotype B †, isotype FI!). Epitype (designated by Trudgen & Baker [2008]):-PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Madang Province: southern foothills of Finisterre Range, Pullen 5958 (CANB!).…”

PalmTraits 1.0, a species-level functional trait database of palms worldwide

“…Additionally, we went through taxonomic revisions, monographs and other publications that provided trait data for specific taxonomic groups such as palm genera or tribes (e.g. Acrocomia 77 , Aiphanes 78 , Archontophoenix 79 , Areca 80 , Asterogyne 81 , Astrocaryum 82,83 , Attalea 84 , Bactris 85,86 , Balaka 87 , Borassodendron 88 , Butia 89 , Calyptrocalyx 90 , Calyptrogyne 91 , Calamus 92–94 , Caryota 95,96 , Chamaedorea 97–103 , Cyrtostachys 104 , Drymophloeus 105 , Eremospatha 55,106 , Geonoma 107 , Heterospathe 108 , Hydriastele 109,110 , Hyospathe 111 , Johannesteijsmannia 112 , Laccosperma 55,106 , Lanonia 113 , Licuala 114–116 , Linospadix 90,117 , Livistona 118,119 , Metroxylon 120 , Nenga 121 , Oncocalamus 55,106 , Orania 122 , Parajubaea 123 , Phoenix 124 , Pinanga 125 , Ptychosperma 126 , Pritchardia 127 , Rhapis 128 , Sabal 129 , Syagrus 130–134 , Veitchia 135 , Wallichia 136 ). We further obtained raw data (i.e.…”