184 PRINCIPES lVor..25

Pincipes,25(4), f981, pp. lSzl-188 Distribution of the Nypu Palm in

JnaNnrtp Covecevrcn ,Museum, Brisbane, Australia

The nypa palm (1[yp a fruticans River$ are most extensive, while trees Wurmb) occurs widely in southeast on the (Cassowary Creek Asia (Ceylon, eastern India, Malaysia, tributary) are most luxuriant. Thailand, The Philippines and Indo- The reasons for the disjunct occur- nesia). New Guinea, and northern rence are unclear, but it is interesting Australia (Moore 1973, Fig. 52 and p. to note that all stands of Nypa palms I05). It is known to favor coastal, par- on are located in ticularly estuarine areas. In Australia, sandy areas (even though there are at the extreme southern limit of its dis- mud overlays in some situations); that tribution, it is known to occur in they are associated with rain or wet Queensland in some estuaries of east- sclerophyll forests and certain man- ern Cape York Peninsula, north of the grove species, Sonneratia caseolaris, 18"33'S, 146o17'E;and Rhizophora tnucronata (Duke and in the Northern Territory in one iso- Bunt 1979), Bruguiera sexangula, and. lated patch on Melville Island 1Io30'S, Barringtonia racetnosai and that they 130"30'E (Covacevich and Covacevich are invariably concentrated near the 1978, Wells 1979). Its occurrence in upper reaches of brackish sections of Queenslandhas not been mapped pre- the rivers along which they occur. viously, but this is now possible, fol- Stands of N. frutice.ns are apparently lowing surveys ofthe estuaries of east- never located in areas of continual ern Cape York Peninsula. fresh or highly saline water although Nypafruticans has been observed in they obviously tolerate both extremes only nine of the 30 or so estuaries ex- during floods or very high tides. amined. These are , Cowal Creek, Harmer Creek, Oliver River, Pascoe River, Claudie River, Acknowledgment Lockhart River, Mclvor/Morgan River Duke (Australian Insti- and Herbert River. The location of the Mr. Norman nine estuaries is shown in Figure 1, tute of Marine Science, Townsville) together with those along which there has provided distribution data for the are no N. fruticans. Stands on the Ol- more remote rivers discussed here. He ive. Claudie. and Mclvor/Morsan also very kindly provided the figures.

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1. Map of Nypa fruticans distribution in Australia. Locations recently visited on Cape York Peninsula are shown and the areas of Nypa fruticans occurrence are boxed. l98ll COVACEVICH:NYPA IN AUSTRALIA I85 t86 PRINCIPES [Vor. 25

2. Nypa fruticans stand in the Claudie River. Note the luxuriant associated vegetation as well as "zonal" "growing some patchiness. The species is commonly found in the back areas of river meander edges" or in disconnected meanders or backwaters. 3. Nypa fruticans frontal stand in the Pascoe River. l98rl COVACEVICH: NYPA IN AUSTRALIA

4. Infloresence of Nypa fruticans from the Pascoe River. Note the staminate spikes and the young "knobby" fruit (the central head). 5. Inside a Nypa fruticans stand at the Pascoe River. Note the tall 188 PRINCIPES lVor..25

Lrrrnq.runr Crruo McCunnecn, J. C. f976. Palms of the World (reprint of 1960 Harper & Brothers publi- Cov,tcrvrcn, J. M. .rNl Jrexrrru Covecnv- cation by Horticultural Books Inc., Stuart, IcH. 1978. Palms in northeasternAustra- Florida). lia. I. Speciesfrom Iron Range,far north- Moonr, H. E., Jn. 1973. The major groups of eastern Queensland.Principes 22(3):88- palms and their distribution. Gentes Herb. 93. Il(2\: 24-I4I. Durr, N. C. mtn J. S. BuNr. 1979.The Genus Wrrrs, A. G. 1979. Distribution of mangrove Rhizophora (Rhizophoraceae)in North species across Northern Australia. Aust. Eastern Australia. Aust. J. Bol 27: 657- Inst. Mar. Sci. National Mangrove Work- 678. shop. April lB-20, 1979.

BOOKSTORE Ixorx on Annnnrcen Palms (B. E. Dahlgren, 1959, 412 pp., plates) , 18.95 INDEx ro Pnrncrpns (Vols. I-20, P.c.rrx4 Ixlor,Insu (in Indonesian) 1956-1976,H. E. Moore, Jr., 68 (Sastraprdja, Mogea, Sangat, Afri- pp.) $ 3.00 astini, 1978, 52 illustrations beauti- Curtrvaruo Per,lrs op Vrutzunr,t fully done, f20 pp.) 5.50 (A. Braun, 1970,94 pp. and 95 Pelnrernts no Bn,rsrr (in Portu- photographs.) 4.50 guese) (G. Bondar, f964, f55 pp.) 13.00 Tnr Inorcnrqous Pelus or Sunr- Pelus on Mer-rye (T. C. Whitmore, Nelre (J. G. W. Boer, 1965,Part 1973,I32pp.) ---,------16.95 of Flora, I 72 pp.) 21.00 Tur Grxus Tnnrxex (R. W. Read, Pelus or Sourn Fronrr.r (G. B. 1975,95pp.) ---- 8.00 Stevenson,1974,25f pp.) - 6.00 Tsr Peru Frone on Nrw Gulttne Pelus or :rur Wonro (J. C Mc- (F. B. Essig, 1977,46 pp.) 5.50 Currach,1960. 290 pp.). ------19.00 Cocolrur Pernr Fnoml Wnavntc Suppr-nurNr ro Pelus oF THE (Wm. H. Goodloe, 1972, 132 pp.) 3.95 Wonro (A. C. Langlois,1976,252 Palm Papers (Postage Included) pp.) ------25.00 Tnp Henorrsr Pertrrs (J. Popenoe, Ttrr MeJon Gnoups or PelMs eNo 1973,4 pp.) L25 Tnrrn DrsrnrsurroN (H. E. Funrnrn h,monN4lrron or'r H,{nov Moore,Jr., f973,115 pp.) -,------4.50 Par,nrs(J. Popenoe, 1973,4 pp.) ---- 1.25 Tnr Cexus Prvcnosppnue LesrLL. Norps oN PnrrcnAnlr.q. rN HAwAII @. B. Essig,1978, 6I pp.) 5.50 (D. Hodel, 1980, 16 pp.) 2.00 (K. Ruddle,D. Parlr S.q.co Johnson, Pelnas-AilcrsrRy AND Rnlarror.ts K. Townsend, D. Rees,1978, P. J. (B. Ciesla, 1979, a chart) 4.50 190pp.) 7.50 Hanvnsr oF THE Pelu (J. J. Fox, The palm books listed above may be ordered 1977.244 pp.) 15.00 at the prices indicated plus $1.00 extra per book THE DArE Pelu (H. Simon, 1978, to cover packaging and postage. (California resi 155pp.) 8.95 dents please ad.d.67osales tax.) Send check in Flone or P.q.I,leN4e(R. E. Woodson, US currency payable to The Palm Society to Jr., R. W. Schery,1943, I22 pp.) -- r7.00 Pauleen Sullivan, 3616 Mound Avenue, Ventura, Frone or Penu (Palms)(J. F. Mac- California 93003, USA. We also buy and resell Bride. 1960.97 pp.) 3.50 old palm books.

e upright 10-12 m fronds and the large aggregate fruit stalk. In this case the fruit cluster was about half a meter in diameter. 6. An uprooted Nypa fruticans seedling with the fruit still attached, from the Herbert River. Note the strong healthy root and shoot development. T. Nypafruticans on a washaway edge of the Pascoe River. Note the usually subterranean rhizome and roots of these obviously mature plants.