The Genus Areca (Palmae: Arecoideae) in Borneo

Abstract

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Triporate pollen in the Arecaceae

“…Microareca Within Sect. Microareca three Bornean species form a rather distinctive group (Dransfield 1984): A. abdulrahmanii, A. andersonii and A. klingkangensis, and this is strongly supported by the incomplete zonosulcate pollen aperture morphology that is found in all three taxa. Stamen number (nine) distinguishes Areca klingkangensis from A. andersonii (six) and A. abdulrahmanii (c. 16).…”

“…Stamen number (nine) distinguishes Areca klingkangensis from A. andersonii (six) and A. abdulrahmanii (c. 16). Furthermore, the inflorescences of A. klingkangensis are smaller than in the other two species (Dransfield, 1984). The pollen morphologies of A. arundinacea, A. brachypoda, and A. dayung are closely similar (Table I).…”

“…The pollen morphologies of A. arundinacea, A. brachypoda, and A. dayung are closely similar (Table I). A. chaiana is regarded as an aberrant member of Areca (Dransfield 1984). Its flowers and fruit indicate an affinity with the genus, but it is the only member of the genus with a truly spicate inflorescence.…”

“…Areca klingkangensis, A. minuta, and all species of Areca with zonosulcate pollen are included in Sect. Microareca (Dransfield 1984), a section restricted to Borneo, with the exception of A. ridleyana, which only occurs in Peninsular Malaysia. Therefore, for comparison, we have included pollen data for all other species in the section ( Table I).…”

A monograph of the betel nut palms (Areca: Arecaceae) of East Malesia

“…They are unusual among members of Areceae in bearing only one well‐developed inflorescence bract (the prophyll), whereas other Areceae typically carry both a well‐developed prophyll and peduncular bract. Like the majority of Arecoideae, genera of Arecinae bear unisexual flowers in groups of three (triads) comprising a central pistillate flower flanked by a pair of staminate flowers (Dransfield, 1984; Dransfield et al ., 2008). Areca is readily distinguished from the other genera because it has complete triads only at the base of each rachilla with pairs or solitary staminate flowers throughout the remainder of the rachilla, whereas Nenga bears numerous complete triads up to three‐quarters of the length of the rachilla and Pinanga bears complete triads throughout each rachilla.…”