100 PRINCIPES tVol. 19 Brassiophoenix schumannii (Palmae)

Fnplonrcr B. Esstc L. H. Baitey Hortorium, Cornell [Jnittersity, Ithaca, N' Y' 14853

During the German colonization been determined to be another species "Kaiserwilhelmsland" of (northeastern of the genusBrassiophoenix. New Guinea) in the late 19th Century, Bras,siophoenr,ris distinguished among num- German botanists carried out extensive the ptychospermate Palms bY a The most exploration of their territory and con- ber of unusual characters. tributed substantially to the general distinctive of these is the oddly shaped knowledge of the New Guinea {lora. pinnae. The central pinnae of mature two Unfortunately, most of the German fronds are three-pronged. The pro- palm collections were destroyed in Ber- marginal nerves and midnerve are lin during the second World War. longed and alternate with two deeP Many of these specimens \4ere types o{ praemorse sinuses at the apex. In pinnae new species from New Guinea, and we other ptychospermate genera the (e. g. must now work with photographs and are convexly praemorse Drymo- prae- fragments in order to establish the iden- phloeus), obliquely or concavely g. tity o{ those species. One of them, morseor notched(e. Ptychospermd), (e.5. Actinophloeus schumannii described by or nearly acute at the apex Veit' Beccari in IBB9, has long perplexed bot- chia). of anists who have seen the sPecimens Less conspicuous, but PossiblY the Beccari annotated as belonging in the more diagnostic importance, are species. These ldter annotators have basi{ixed anthers and small, inconspic' identi{ied tlft specimens as belonging to uous pistillode of the staminateflowers. Drymophloeus, Ptychococcus, or as be- In all other ptychospermatepalms, an- ing mixed collections involving these thers are dorsi{ixed and versatile and in two genera and Ptychospertna. Indeed, most the pistillode is well developed the specimens would appear to combine (exceptionsoccur in Ptychosperrnasul:' the in{lorescence of a , gents Ponapea and in sorne species of the oI a Drymophloeus and the Drymophloews). of a Ptychococcus. Max Burret, The fruit of Brassiophoenixis super' who had identified Beccari's species as ficially very similar to that of belonging in Ptychococcws, subse' Ptychococcws in having a thick, ex- quently described a new , Bras' tremely hard endocarp,but can be dis- (Essig, un- siophoenix, with the single species tinguished anatomically is rather B. drymophloeoid,es, which was charac- published). The the inner enclos- terized by just this seeminglY odd long-pedunculate,with from the outer combination o{ characteristics. Burret ing bract well exserted just opening. apparently had forgotten about Actino' bract (prophyll) before phloeus schumannii at this time, other- In this way the inflorescence is more than o{ wise he would surely have recognized like that of DrYmoqhloeus the similarity of his new genus and Ptychospermaor Ptychococcus. as to the species to Beccari's species. Actino' The question now arises schu' phloeus schumannii has, in fact, now relationship of Brassiophoenix 19751 ESSIG: BRASSIOPHOENIX 101

/fr trt t. Brassiophoenix schumannii. a, pinna xla; b, staminate X 22/s; c, )( lB; d, endocarp, external view,\1; e, endocarp and , cross-section,Xl (all from Essig LAi 55161.BH\. 702 PRINCIPES [Vol. 19 mannii with B. d'rymophloeoi.iles'Bras- Brassiophoenix schumannii. A list of siophoenix schumannii has priority un- specimens for B. drymophloeoid,esis der the rules of nomenclature if the two appended for the benefit of those in' are to be combined. However,there does terested in pursuing the problem. The seemto be sufficient basis for recogniz- latter species is actually known from ing two species in the genus at least relatively few specimens and I would provisionally. A synopsis o{ the differ- recommend that more extensive collec- ences between the two species is pre- tions and field. studies be made o{ both sentedbelow, followed by a full descrip- speciesbefore a final decision is made tion and citation o{ specimens for on their '

B. schwnannii B. drymophloeoid'es

1. Mature fruit color pale yellow-orange red 2. In{lorescencevesture thickly dark-lepidote- denselywhite-lroolly or tomentose very sparselydark- lepidote-tomentose

Brassiophoenix echumannii (Bec- rachis. sometimes very densely lepidote cari) F. B. Essig conrb. noD' around and on base of the Pinnae; pinnae B-10 on each side, regularly or Actinophloeus schumannii Beccari in irregularly arranged, basal pinnae re- K. Schumann & M. Hollrung, Die duced and sometimescrowded, central Flora von Kaiserwilhelmsland, 15. pinnae cuneate,praemorsely 3-pronged, 1889. 38-68 cm. long on the mi&ib, 22-27 Neotype:LauterbachS5T, FI! (Ho- cm. broad just below the two deep lotype: Hollrung 264, B, de- notches, apical pinnae wedge-shaped, strofed, no photograPhknown). 3-4-ribbed, ca. hal{ as long as central schumannii (Beccari) Drymophloeus pinnae. W'arburg ex K. Lauterbach & K. Inflorescencebranched to 2 or 3 or- Schumann, F"lora von der deutschen ders, 25-74 cm' long, 22-58 cm. wide, Schutzgebiete der Siidsee, 207. I/+-r/s with ca. as long as the 190L rachis, complete peduncular bract twice Ptychococcus schumannii (Beccari) as long as prophyll and exserted from Burret, Feddes Repert. SPec.Nov. it at maturity; axesthickly dark lepidote' Reeni Veg. 24:262. 1928. tomentose and somewhat white woolly A slender, solitary Palm; stem 2-I0 when young, glabrescentwith age; up- m. tall, 3-5 cm. in diam. per peduncular bracts I or 2, very small Leaves ca. 9, spreading; sheath 30- and ribbonlike or sometimes triangular 50 cm. long, densely white woolly and to elongate, 2-7.5 cm' Iong; rachillae brown puncticulate throughout, some- L5-4 mm. thick in the middle, 95-28 times with an inconspicuoustriangular cm. long, each bearing 28-60 triads appendage at the apex opposite the pet- and diads. iole; 2045 cm. long, denselY cream-colored or Yellow- white woolly and sparsely to moder- green, glabrous or sparsely punctate; ately lepidote with brown punctiform staminate flowers 7-9 mm- long, 3-5 scales and dark, irregular ramenta; mm. wide, with calyx ca. 2-2.5 mm. pistillate rachis 130-300 cm. long, lepidote as on high, ca. 130-200; r9751 ESSIG: BRASSIOPHOENIX 103

buds ca. 6 mm. high and 4-6 mm. broad NGF 29978 (BH, LAE); Milne Bay at staminate anthesis. Dietrict: Raba Raba Subdistrict, Bini- Fruit yellow-orangeat maturity, ellip- guni camp, Gwariu River, alt. 200 m., soid, 3l-35 mm. long, 17-19 mm. in 6 August 1953, L. I. Brass 23853 (A, diam. when dry, outer part o{ the fruit BH) ; Peria Creek, Kwagira River, alt. wall drying in close conformity to the 50 m., rain forest, 17 August 1953, angled endocarp when incompletely L. I. Brass24034 (.A, BH); Biniguni, ripe, but drying apart from the endocarp alt. 60 m., advaneedregrowth, 27 lune when {ully ripe, endocarp5- or 9-ribbed; 1972, H. Streimann 2,8551(.BH, LAE); seed S-groovedwith the lobes squarish Mt. Suckling, Mayu camp I, alt. 360 m.. or acute in cross-section,endosperm lonland forest. 15 June 7972,G. Leach homogeneous, LAE s6A6 (BH, LAE). CULTI_ Distribution: New Guinea.rain {orest VATED. U.S.A.: Florida, Fairchild "Rainforest," {rom Sepik River Basin to Milne Bay Tropical Garden, I972. District. S. Donachie s. n. ( # FG JI72, Vernacular names: None recorded. apparentlyprogeny of a Brass collection Specimensexamined: PAPUA NEW from the Biniguni area in 1956) (BH). GUINEA. East Sepik District: Sepik Lauterbach 857 has been selected as River, 120 sea miles from the mouth, a neotypesince it is the best extant speci_ {ruit orange-yellow, Hollrung 264 (8, men annotated by Beccari himself as holotype destroyed, no photo known, belonging in the species. data according to Beccari, lBBg); Angoram Subdistrict, I mile north of Brassiophoenix drymophloeiodes Angoram on road to Gavien. alt. 50 ft.. Burret, Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin- disturbed forest, .F. B. Essig LAE 55108 Dahlem12:345. L935. (BH, LAE); Madang District: Bis. Holotype: L. I. Brass5665, Al marck Mountains, 5 luly 1899, Ram,u Exped,ition (ROdety & Krause ?) 222 Distribution: Papua, {rom southern (8, destroyed: photo at BH) ; Gogol Milne Bay District to Central District. River, 4 November 1890, Lauterbach Vernacular names: Pawa (Mekeo lan- 857, (8, destroyed; FI, neotype, photos guage,Maipa Village, ljde Darbyshire. and fragments, photos also at BH) ; Specimensexamined: PAPUA NEW Gogol River, 9 November L890, Lauter- GUINEA. Central District.: Kabuna, bach1535 (BH); Gogol River, swampy alt. 100 m., rain forest, November 1933, lowland forest about I mile {rom Forest L. I. Brass5665 (A, holotype) ; Kairuku camp, alt. 100 ft., 1l October 197I, Subdistrict, near Maipa Airstrip, Maipa (BH. F. B. Essig & P. Katik LAE 55,052 Village, alt. 180 ft., in damp shaded LAE) Morobe District: ; Lae Sub- position in tall forest, 17 September district, mountain slopes of the south 1962,P. ! . Darbyshire 964 (BH) ; Abau side of the Mo River Valley, a few Subdistrict, Mori River, Cape Rodney, miles southeastof Ana Village, alt. ca. forest on flat land, 20 500 ft., 28 January 1972, F. B. Essig June 1968. E. E. LAE 55161 (BH, LAE); Northern Henty NGF 3S55S (BH); Milne Bay District: north of Ioma on walking District; Sagarai valley, inland {rom track to Nindewari, alt. ca. 200 ft., ridge Mullins Harbour, alt. 100 ft., open un- top and slopes in lowland rain forest, derstory, 9 June 1964, I. S. Womersley 2 June 1967,M. I. E. Coode & P. Katik NGF 19272 (BH\.