158 PRINCIPES lVoL.4l

Principes,4l(3), f997, pp. I58-162 Len Brassand His Contributionto Palm Discoveriesin NewGuinea and the Solomonlslands

Peur I. FoRsrnR Queensland,Herbarium, Departmentof Enuironment,Meiers Road, Indnoroopilly 4068, Queensland,Australia

ABSTRACT of Natural History where he was employedas bot- anist on the various Archbold Expeditions to Cape of L. (Len) Brass to the collection of The contribution J. parts New Guinea and Solomon Island palms is briefly reviewed. York Peninsula in Queenslandand different Names of 58 New Guinea and SolomonIsland palms with type of New Guinea (Archbold and Rand 1935; Arch- collections by Brass are listed with an indication of those 46 bold et al.1942; Brass 1938, I94I,1956, 1959, types held at the QueenslandHerbarium (BRI). 1964,; Rand and Brass1940). Brass was employed to collect herbarium mate- LeonardJ. Brass (Len) (1900-1971) was born rial of all vascular that he encountered,and his explorations took him to in Toowoomba,Queensland, Australia and died at in most instances Caims in the same state. Brass (Figs. t-2) is localities previously not botanized.As a conse- undoubtedlythe foremostAustralian botanical col- quence his discoveriesof new taxa were numerous lector of the 20th century and is well known for and his collections were extensively used as type his many years working for the American Museum specimensby botanistsfrom the 1930s through to

:.,11:i .:,i:,: ,tt1,:: ..l|: r:r!:i :llltl; riiti :r:i .::,:.t: ,rr:i].1 i:,,,:: a::ilia:i:i .lt.::

l. Len Brass (left) together with Gamie Pike in Papua New Guinea in 1933. 19971 FORSTER:LEN BRASS 159

ium), the collections that he made are significant as many were of new species.A total of 58 palm namesfrom New Guinea and the SolomonIslands is based on type specimenscollected by Brass flable f) and of these, one ,Brassiophoenix, and nine species, Cyrtostachysbrassii, Gulubia brassii (now a synonym of G. longispatha lEssig l9B2]), Gonophyllum brassii, Korthalsia brassii, Leptophoenixbrassii (now renamed as Gronophyll- lum leonardij fEssig and Young l9B5]), Liaisiona brassii, Orania 6rassil (now a synonym of O. lau- terbachiana [Essig 1980]), Rhopaloblaste brassii and Strongylocarrym brassii (now a synonym of Ptychospennasalomonense Burret [Essig 1978]) are named in his honor. The regard that these workers held for Brass can be noted in the texr accompanying their description of taxa in his honor. Burret in describing Brassiophoeninstated "Herrn L. J. Brass, der deuch ausgezeichnete Sammlungendie Kenntnis der Flora von Neugui- nea sehr gefdrdert, insbesondereaber auch durch verstdndnisvoll ausgewehltesMaterial die Kennt- nis der Palmen sehr erwitert hat, sie die interes- sante neue Gattung gewidmet." Moore (1969), in describing new taxa of Heterospathe,noted: ooMost of the following descriptions are taken from spec- imens collected by Leonard J. Brass whose inter- est in palms,as expressedin detailednotes, pho- 2. Len Brassat Misima Island. Panua\er in 1956. Guinea tographs and ample collectiqns, has contributed greatly to our knowledge of the family in New the present. Brass's outstandingcontribution to Guinea." t j botanical exploration,particularlv in \ew Guinea, The bulk of the taxonomicwork on Brass'sNew i has long been recognized(Pern- l9il). and any Guinea and SolomonIsland collectionswas under-

I botanist who has had the pleasureof lorking with taken by Max Burret (1883-1964) (Potztal 1958, a his superbly presented specimens (nearlv always 1965), who published a series of papers on New i t fertile and with good label data; and reading his Guinea palms (Burret 1931, 1934, 1935, 1936, I accountsof exploration(e.g.. Bra,.s 1938. 1941, 1939) wherein 56 taxa were named basedon Brass I 1953, 1956, 1959, l96,y'.)rrill attest to his stature types. Burret did not explicitly state a herbarium as a 20th century botanical icon. There are over where the holotype for each of these names was IB0 species and genera of r,ascularplants named deposited, although it is likely that most of the for Len Brass (Forster.unpublished data). which specimensthat he worked on were from the Arnold is perhapsa record for any collector of this cen- Arboretum in Harvard (A) as this is where most tury. of the early Brass collections were identified and This article focuses on Brass's contribution to distributed from, apart from the numbers 3551- the study of New Guinea and Solomon Island 6077 that were distributed from the New York palms. The collection and preparation of herbar- Botanical Garden (NY) (van Steenis-Kruseman ium specimens of palms are often avoided by 1950). Subsequentworkers have usually indicated collectors as they are bulky, difficult to process, a holotype at A or have lectotypified names by and often unpleasantly spiny. Brass did not obvi- specimensannotated by Burret at A or NY (e.g., ously avoid collecting palms, and although they do Essig 1980, 1982). The extent of duplication of not comprise a major proportion of his collections Brass palm collections is unknown, but based on (e.g., there arc 149 palm specimens out of a total other groups, it is possible that of 13 I30 for I.l3Vo] at the Queensland Herbar- duplicates could be representedin the herbaria A, tF

PRINCIPES [Vor-.41

* Table 1. Names of New Gwincupalnx tatca with tlpe collections W L J. Brass. ind,icatestrye specinxen ind'icated. (Name in parentheses : present at BRL Isitypgs, isolectoqpes, and syntypes at _BRI are also currerrtlv u,sedname).

Name Brass Collection Number

Act in ophloe u s I inea ris B tnet (: Ptychospema llneare (Burret) Bunet) r566 A ctircphlo ew macro s p adix Btnr el (: mimocarpum (Burret) Burret 5628x Actinophl oeus micr oc ar pus Bun el (: Ptychosperma microcarpum (Burret) Bumet 1659 Areca nanospad,ix BtrreI 921 Areca rostrata B]ufieI 397r* Brassiophoenix drymophloeoides Bwret (: B. schutnannli (Becc.) Essig) 5665* Calamw ahiscandem Bunet 7327* Calamus anomlus Bunel 5298 Calamus brossil Burret 5009* Calamus distentu Burtet 7151* Calamus eximiu Buner 7216* Calamus macrospadix Buner 5423* Calamu muhisetosusBvret 5422* Calamus nannos t ar hy s Burr.er 1379 Calamu pseudozebinus Bunel 3923x Cal amu,s r eti.cul atus B un eI 68ll* Calamw stipitatus Bwet 2719* Callptrocalyx albertisianus var. minoir ButeI 57W* Cafuptrocaly x archboldianus Brnet 5290* Cyrtostachys brassii Burret 5600+ Cyrnstachys microcarpa BruneI (: C. ftrsu Becc') 7162* Gronophyllum brassii Burret 7093* Cronophyllum leornrd'ii Essig & Young 5631* Gulubia brusii Burcet (: C. Iongispatha Becc.) 5457* Gulubia costata var, grrcilior Bunet (: G. costata) 5887* Heterospotheannecterc H.E. Moore 28409 Heterospathe minor Blurtel 3462* Heterospathepulcft,ra H.E. Moore 27tt6 Heterospathesphaerocarpa Blurr.el 5413f Hyd,riastele lepid,ota Bumet BTOI* Korthal.siabrass ji Bunet 6864* lnptophoenin brassii Burret (: Gronophyllurnleonardii Essig & Young) 5631* l,eptophoenix macr oc arp a Bun er (: Gornphyllun pinangoid'es(Becc.) Essig & Young) 5299x Icptophoenia mirrocarpa Bwet (: GronoplryIlurnpimngoides (Becc.) Essig & Young) 3998* Licuala angu,stiloba Burret 7069* Linnla conrinna Brne| ffi94* Licuala linearis Brnet 3824+ Lieuala magna Bunel 7136* Licuala paucisetaBunet 5637

o'Co-type" BM, BO, BRI, CANB, K, L, LAE, and NY. The indeed rmany have on the label. Some have listed Queensland Herbarium (BRI) has 46 Brass type authors (e.g., Ferrero and Dowe 1996) collections of palms (Table f). H the specimensat the specimensat A and BRI simply as types, and A or NY are to be regarded as holotypes, then it will le necessaryfor future workers to designate those at BRI should be considered isotypes, as lectotypes. 19971 FORSTER:LEN BRASS

Table 1. Continued.

Name Brass Collection Number LicuaLa tanycola H.E. Moore 13010A Liaistona brassji Burret 5950* Liuistona crustaceaBLtrreI 7668* Liuistona melanocarpa Burret 6310* Nengella gracilis Bvrel (: GronophyLlumgracile (Bwret) Essig & Young) 7083 Nengella rhomboidea Bvrer (: Gronophyllumpinangoides (Becc.) Essig & Young) 7201* Or ania archb o ld,iana Burrel 8225 Orania brassii Bvrel 5489+(isolecto) Or ania distic hia Burret 5599*(isolecto) P ar alinos p adix amischus Bun et 3826* Paralinospadix merrillianu Bwrel 68l5x (syntype) Ptyc handr a monlana Blnet 4974* Ptychococcusarchbold,ianus Burret 72lB* Pl,ychococcmarchboldianus v ar. microchlamysBtrret Bl66x Rehderophoenix pachyclada Bunet (: Drymophloeuspachycladus (Bunet) H.E. Moore) 2720x(isotype) RhopaLobLastebrassii H.E. Moore 13305 Strongylocaryum6rassii Bunet (- Ptychospermasalomonense (Bunet) 3481*(isotype) Stron gylo c aryum laliu.r Burret (: Ptychospermasalomonense Bunet) 3361*(isotype) Strongylocaryummacranthum Btrrel (: Ptychospermasalomonense Btrrer) 2956*(isotype)

Brass's palm specimens invariably comprise commenting on this article, and to Lyn Craven severalsheets ofmaterial. The specimensare gen- (CANB) for copies of several hard to obtain ref- erally fertile ( and/or ) and may com- erences. Photographsof Brass are from the Len prise portions of the , the bracts enclosingthe Brassarchives at BRI. ,parts ofthe inflorescence,and . The label data contain extra information as to the LrrnReruRn Cruso size of the palm and proportions of the leavesand inflorescence, as well as colors of the various ARcrsorl, R. eNl A. L. RAND. 1935. Summaryofthe 1933 parts. It is not immediately clear whether Burret 1934 PapuanExpedition. Buli. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 68: had only the specimensavailable to him when he 527-579. drew up the numerous descriptions, or whether ANDL. J. BRASS.1942. Resultsofthe Arch- Brass also supplied him with photographsof some bold Expeditionsno 41. Summaryof the 1938-1939 New Guineaexpedition. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 79: 197- collections. Certainly Moore (7969) had use of 2BB. these photographsfor his work on Heterospathe, Bness, L. J. 1938. Botanicalresults of the Archbold Expe- and a Len Brass habitat picture of Rhopaloblaste ditions,IX. Noteson the vegetationof the Fly and Wassi brassii accompaniesits description (Moore 1970). Kussa Rivers, British New Guinea. J. Arnold Arb. 19: In the Brass archives at the Herbar- 175-190. Queensland 1941. The 193U39 expedition to the snow moun- ium, there are numerous labelled photographs of tairis. NetherlandsNew Guinea.J. Arnold A$. 22:271- plants that Brass collected, including palms. 295.297-342. These archival photographs would be of great 1953. Resultsof the Archbold Expeditions.No. 68. interest to workers on the palms of New Guinea Summary of the 1948 Cape York (Australia) expedition. as they could representtrees that were used in the Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 102: 135-206. 1956. Resultsof the Archbold Expeditions.No. preparationof the type specimens. 75. Summary of the fourth Archbold Expedition to New Guinea.Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. Ill:77-152. Acknowledgments -. 1959. Resultsof the Archbold Expeditions.No. 79. Summary of the fifth Archbold (BRD Expedition to New Guinea. Thanks to Peter Bostock for database Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 1lB: 1-70. nanipulation of specimen information and for -. 1964. Resultsof the Archbold Expeditions.No. 86. PRINCIPES [Vor. 41

Summary of the sixth Archbold Expedition to New FERRERo,M. anr J. L. DowE. 1996. Notes on Brassiophoenix Guinea.Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. I27: L45-216' ()-the bat-wing palm from Papua New Guinea' BuRRET,M. 193I. Four new palms collected in the territory Mooreana6: lB-22. of Papua (British New Guinea) by L. J. Brass. J. Arnold MooRE, H. E., JR. 1969. New palms from the Pacific, III- Arb. 12:264-269. Principes13:99-108. 1934. Neue palmen aus Neu-Guinea. Notizbl. Bot. -. 1970. The genus Rhopaloblaste(Palmae). Principes Gart. Mus. Berlin-Dahlem Il:. 7O4-713. 14:7t92. 1935. Neue palmen aus Neuguinea II. Notizbl' Bot. Pnnnv, L. M. 1971. LeonardJ. Brass(1900-1971), an appre- Gart. Mus. Berlin-Dahlem 12: 309-348. ciation. J. Amold Arb. 52:695498. 1936. Neue palmen aus NeuGuinea III. Notizbl. Bot. PorzrAL, E. 1958. ProfessorDr. Max Burret. Principes 2: 87- Gart. Mus. Berlin-Dahlem 13: 65-100. 9I. von L. 1939. Palmae gesammelt in Neu Guinea J. 1965. Maximilian Bunet, 1883-1964. Willdenowfi Arb. 2O: lB7-202. Brass. J. Arnold 4:23-3I. EssIG, F. B. 1978. A revision of the genus Ptychosperma Re.No,A. L. AND L. J. Bness. 1940. Results of the Archbold Labill. (Arecaceae)Allertonia l: 415478. expeditions no 29. Summary of the 1936-1937 New 1980. The genus Orania Zipp. (Arecaceae)in New Guineaexpedition. Buil. Amer. Mus' Nat. Hisr.77;34'l- Guinea.Lyonia 1(5): 2If-233. 380. 1982. Synopsis of the genus Gulubia. Principes 26: STEENIS-KRUSEMAN,M. J. 1950. Malaysian plant collec- 159-173. VAN In' G. G. van Steenis(ed.). Flora - AND B. E. YouNG. 1985. A reconsideration of Cron- tors and collections. C. J. l-649. Noordhoff- ophyllum and Nengella (Arecoideae).Principes 29: 129- Malesiana ser. l, Vol. l, pp. cxvii-clii, tt/. Koiff n.v. Diakarta.

CHAPTER NEWS AND EVENTS (Continuedfromp. 137)

New Hawaiian Pritchardia Garden their permanent places in the sun are specimens Dedication of approximately 200 palm species in S-gallon containers, with more being added all the time. On March 6, at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, After the palms, Don plans a bamboo garden, an 150 people gathered for the dedication of the authentic recreation of a Hawaiian village, with three-acre loulu (Pritchardia) garden. The loulu ethnobotanicalgarden and a hibiscus garalen. garden is one increment of a Iarger botanical gar- dLn at the university that will include a world- Knu Benrs wide palm collection organized geographically. email: [email protected] Hawaii Island The garden is the brainchild of LouisianaChaPter News Chapter member and Professorof Biology Dr. Don Hemmes. Dr. Hemmes and other volunteers have The Louisiana Chapter of the IPS met on March been planning the garden, clearing the site, and 16 at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans.Members planting palms for one and one-half years.Assist- were treated to a complimentary tour of the zoo ing Don have been university students Lauren following the meeting. Aside from a splendid dis- Wilson, Steve Zeiher, and Matt Cohen, and uni- play of exotic and native fauna, the flora at the versity employeeDeborah Scott. zoo includes some interesting palm species. The loulu gardencontains all 19 speciesof Prit- Thanks to Stephen Trans Asprodites, Director of chard,ia listed in Manual of Flowering Plants of Horticulture of The Audubon Institute for provid- Hawai'i, someof which are very rare. To discourage ing this fine meeting site. theft, the plants will be left unlabelled until they The Louisiana Chapter plans an extensive "palm become too large to steal. Overall there are 60 planting'oexercise for the New Orleansarea specimens.After the dedicationceremony, the Uni- this spring and summer. planted a Pritchardia aiscosa. versity Chancellor NorthernCalifornia ChaPter News Across campus,Don and his volunteersare pre- paring a worldwide palm garden that will extend The Northern California Chapterof the IPS held approximatelyone-half mile on each side of Wai- their first meeting of L997 on May l8th at Ian and loa Streamoso that when the garden is complete, Jane McDonald's garden in San Rafael. a total of about a linear mile of palms will line the river, An increment of African palms was recently 3#'f::i:ii:@pacbe'net completed, and planting of palms of the Philip- pines and New Caledoniabegan April 2. Awaiting (Continued'on p. 166)