Freycinetia wiharjae A.P.Keim, Witono & W.Sujarwo

Keim, A. P., Witono, J. R., Efendy, O. & Sujarwo, W., 2023, A new species of Freycinetia Gaudich. (Pandanaceae; Freycinetoidea) with lateral infructescence and rostrate cephalia from the Arfak Mountains, Papua, Indonesia, Blumea 68 (1), pp. 70-72 : 71-72

Freycinetia wiharjae A.P.Keim, Witono & W.Sujarwo — Fig. 1

Etymology. The epithet is to honour Wiharja, a technician from the then Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), who faithfully accompanied one of the authors when both were serving for three years (2009 to 2011) in the then Wamena Biological Garden, Wamena, Papua.

Medium-sized climbing pandan with a lateral infructescence and rostrate berries, each with 4–8 stigmatic remains, rarely 4, fairly common 8, mostly 5–6. — Type: W. A. Mustaqim 1424 (holo BO!), Indonesia, West Papua, Arfak Regency, Angga Gida District , on the road from Lake Anggi Gida , S1°21'59.3" E133°57'18.7" .

Medium sized climbing pandan; climbing up to 5 m high. Stem glabrous, greyish green, 0.7–0.9 cm diam. Leaf lanceolate-elongate, 28–30 by 0.5–0.6 cm, apex acute, surfaces glabrous, green, minute spines on apical and basal parts of the leaf; auricle tapered, glabrous. Infructescence lateral, distance between 2 infructescences c. 5 cm; each 8–12 cm long, ternate or quaternate (with 3 or 4 cephalia); peduncular bract c. 2.5 by 1 cm; peduncle 1.5–5.5 cm long; pedicel 2.5–3 cm long, conspicuously scabrous. Cephalia elongate-lanceolate to fairly globose, 3–4.5 by 2–2.5 cm. Berry rostrate, 0.5–0.7 cm long; stigmatic remains 4–8, rarely 4, fairly common 8, mostly 5–6.

Distribution — Endemic to the Bird’s Head Peninsula (Arfak Mountains) in the extreme north-western corner of mainland New Guinea.

Habitat & Ecology — Lower Mountain forest at about 1975 m altitude and found growing on a mossy trunk.

Conservation Status — Likely, Critically Endangered ( CR) as F. wiharjae is so far only known from the type, but recorded as Data Deficient ( DD) as no other data are available .

Notes — In this current study, F. wiharjae is recognized as one of the three species that classified as the member of the section Devrieseella , the other are F. devriesei and F. megacarpa . Freycinetia wiharjae differs from the other two species in four morphological characters ( Table 1). Prior to this present study, no member of the section Devrieseella was known to possess the two distinctive morphological characters of lateral infructescence and number of stigmatic remains 4–8. These two characters do circumscribe F. wiharjae as a new species. The existence of F. wiharjae extends the distribution of section Devrieseella further east in Malesian to mainland New Guinea. It was previously known only from Sulawesi, the Philippines, and Halmahera Island in the Moluccas ( Keim et al. 2022b). This distribution supports a possible strong biogeographical link between Sulawesi and the Philippines with east Malesia, which is apparently stronger than with west Malesia as was proposed by Lam (1945a, b). Further study is essential. This current study is in accordance with the identification of a taxon identified by Stone and collected in South Sulawesi (E.F. de Vogel 6084; L!), which has an affinity with F. megacarpa ; which also suggests phytogeographical bonds between Sulawesi and the Philippines, from which F. megacarpa was only previously known ( Merrill 1908). This current study shows a higher similarity between the new taxon and F. devriesei because of the conspicuously elongated lanceolate leaves.

Figures

Fig. 1 Freycinetia wiharjae A.P.Keim, Witono & W.Sujarwo, holotype, showing the lateral infructescence and rostrate cephalia. — Photo: A.P. Keim, 2023.