1975] DRANSFIELD: NEW NENCA 27 A Remarkable New Neoga From

JOHN DHANSFIELD Herbarium Bogoriense, Bogor, Illdonc.~ia

Specimens in the Herbarium Bogor­ spatham coriaceam persistentem ferente, iense collected by H. A. B. Bunnemeijer paribus Horum masculorum in 5-7 serie­ on Gunung Talakmau in West Sumatra bus verticalibus, et capitulo fructuum. in 1917 had been assigned by Furtado Descriptio. Palma solitaria humilis, on his visit to the Herbarium in 1936 to inermis, monoecia. Caulis crassus, ad the Nenga. On a preliminary ex­ 2 m. altus, 15 em. diametro infra folia, amination of the palms in the herbarium radicibus gralliformibus praeditus, hori­ in 1970, I could not agree with Furtado's zontaliter arcte ciccatricosus. Cicatrices identification, but even so could not foliorum delapsorum ad 1 em. distantes, assign the specimens to any genus. Then, fibris vaginarum foliorum tectae. Inter­ in February 1971, I visited Kepahiang in nodia verticaliter rugosa, cortice ali­ the hills of the Bukit Barisan range of quantum suberoso. Radices gralliformes Sumatra near Bengkulu, an area ex­ ad 1.5 em. diametro, atrobrunneae, radi­ tremely rich in beautiful and interesting cibus conicis lateralibus spongiosis, pal­ palms. It was with great excitement that lidis pneumaticis, ad 1 mm. longis, I discovered a squat palm of rather mas­ serialibus. Folia 8-9 in corona, patentia, sive proportions growing in great abun­ (cum vagina) ad 3 m. longa, vagina ad dance at an altitude of 800 m. in steep 50 em. longa, pallide luteo-viridi, a caule river valleys and on slopes; the inflores­ non munde dehiscente, marcescente et cences of the palm proved to be identical vestigium fibrosum formante, indu­ to those of the Bunnemeijer collections, mento atrobrunneo juventute sparsim and on examination of the living tecta. Petiolus ad 75 em. longus, 2.5 and fresh and spirit-preserved material em. diametro, in sectione circularis, in­ of and , I now agree with dumento atrobrunneo sparsim teclus. Furtado's original generic identification. Rhachis triquetra, ad 8 mm. diametro in The most striking feature of the whole medio longitudinis, ad 3 mm. diametro palm is the infructescence, which is prope apicem, squamis brunneis sparsim borne interfoliarly, and resembles in its tecta. Foliola leviter sigmoidea, regu­ nodding, club-shaped form, a fruiting laria, utrinque 8-10, paribus 1-2 infer­ head of Nypa fruticans Wurmb. ioribus unicostatis, superioribus 3-5­ I propose to call this spectacular palm costatis subopposita, horizontalia, 3-6 Nenga gajah after its local Indonesian em. distantia, in medio folii ad 60 em. name "pinang gajah" ("pinang" = longa, ad 8 em. lata, apice acuminata, , , Nenga and other are­ infra leviter pallidiora et squamis indu­ coid palms, "gajah" = elephant). mentoque pallide brunneis secus costas tecta, supra glabra. Foliola terminalia Nenga gajah Dransfield, sp. nov. sub angulo 70° inter se divergentia, acu­ Diagnosis. Differt a ceteris speciebus minata aut bifida aut leviter dentata. Nengarum inflorescentia interfoliacea Inflorescentia interfoliacea erecta, 30- 28 PRINCIPES [Vol. 19

40 em. longa. Spatha solitaria, atrobrun­ furfuraeeo brunneo praeeipue margInl­ nea vel violaeea, dura, eoriaeea aut paene bus tecta. Spatha pro parte quarta vel lignosa, ad 25 em. longa, ad 4 em. lata tertia longitudinis uno margine laterali parte latissima, 2.5 em. lata parte angus­ dissiliens et infloreseentia per fissuram tissima 10 em. super basim, indumento lateraliter emergens, spatha per anthesin 1975] DRANSFIELD: NEW NENGA 29

2. Palm-rich Hill Dipterocarp Forest near Kepahiang; in the centre, flowering Areca latiloba Ridley with Nenga gajah on each side; also in the photograph are Daemollorops hystrix Blume, Daemono­ rops sp. nov., and Pillanga densijlora Beccari. longe persistens, dein in vestigiis fibrosis binati, quoque pare braeta minuta in mareeseens. Rami infloreseentiae 3-5, raehilla subtento, quoque flore braeteola omnes ordinis primi. Pedunculus ad 25 minuta subtento. Paria florum maseu­ em. longus, in seetione ovalis, 20 X 8 lorum in 5-7 seriebus vertiealibus aut mm., atroviolaeeo-brunneus, pilis ramo­ arete spiraliter disposita, si spiraliter sis sparsim teetus. Raehillae quaeque tum flores contiguissimi; numerus serie­ braeta rigida triangulari erassa 5 mm. rum superne deerescens. Ubi raehillae longa, basi 5 mm. lata subtentae. in spatha eontiguissimae sunt, flores masculi singuli abortantes, aspeetu ves­ Raehillae 2--4 inferiores maseulae ad tigiorum otrorum remanentes. 10-12 em. longae, 5 mm. latae sine £lori­ Flores maseuli eremei, angulosi, ob­ bus; raehilla terminalis ad 10 em. longa longi, alabastris ad 5 mm. longis, 3 mm. et basi 8 mm. diametro, maseula femine­ latis. Sepala 3, ut videtur libera, dis­ aque aut raro tantum maseula; rachillae juncta, minuta, triangularia, ad 0.5 mm. 1-3 inferiores ca. 1-3 em. distantes, eis alta. Petala 3, libera, tenuiter coriaeea, terminalibus et penultimis approximatis. oblonga, plana aut cucullata, si cueullata Raehillae maseulae 1-2 em. super basim tum leviter acuta, forma variantes, im­ sine floribus, rachilla terminalis floribus pressione staminum intra notata. Sta­ maseulis femineisque pro 3-4. em. in­ mina 6; filamenta ad 1 mm. longa; an­ fimis et floribus tantum maseulis prope therae medifixae, ad 2.5 mm. longae, 0.5 apieem praedita. Dimensiones inflores­ mm. latae, dehiseentia latrorsa; vesti­ eentiae maturitate erescentes. Flores gium ovarii non videtur. Grana pollinis maseuli ante flores femineos aperientes, lutea, sphaeriea, uniporata. Sub anthesin 30 PRINCIPES [Vol. 19

3. Nenga gajah by a small stream at 850 m. 4. Nenga gajah. with female altitude. flowers at anthesis; note the barc axes which once bore the protandrous male flowers. flores masculi inter alabastros propin­ quos exserti dein cito caduci, rachillis Ovarium rotundatum, ad 4 mm. diam­ nudis relictis; evolutio florum masculo­ etro, stigmate rostrato, conico, apice rum acropeta. obscure trilobato. Loculo 1, ovulo 1, Flores feminei violacei, singuli cum 2 laterifixo, micropyle ad receptaculum floribus masculis lateralibus aggregati, spectante. greges florum in 5-8 seriebus verticali­ Infructescentia capitulum ·pendulum bus dispositi, aut series verticales propter claviforme fructum fusiformium. Fruc­ distortionem non prominentes. Quisque tus ad 8 em. longus, 2.5 em. latus, fusi­ grex florum bracta membranosa minuta formis vestigio stigmatis terminatus; subtentus; flos unusquisque bracteolo epicarpium laeve, glabrum, atroviolaceo­ subtentus. Flores feminei rotundati ca. brunneum; mesocarpium ad 4, mm. 7 mm. longi sub anthesin. Sepala 3 li­ latum, fibris verticalibus perductum; en­ bera, valvata, leviter cucullata, ad 7 mm. docarpium laeve, intra nitidum. Semen longa, basi 6 mm. lata, coriacea, persis­ fusiforme, 4.. 5 em. longum, 1.8 em. tentia, amplitudine post anthesin cres­ latum, secus longitudinem ad endocar­ centia. Petala 3, libera, valvata, coriacea, pium raphe basi 4- mm., apice 1 mm. lata longe persistentia, ad 6 mm. longa, post affixum. Testa ca. 0.2 mm. crassa. En­ anthesin ad 1 em. crescentia. Staminodia dospermium valde ruminatum, rumina­ 6, triangularia, minuta, ad 0.5 mm. alta. tionibus ad ca. 5 mm. penetrantibus, 1975] DRANSFIELD: NEW NENGA 31

5. Nenga gajah. Pendulous infructesc''1H:e (i. N"f/,{. The sto('ky stem with a few stilt and the untidy "rown can abo be seen. brown and marked with close horizontal scars. Leaf scars more or less 1 em. parte centrali endospermii non ruminata. distant, to 4 mm. broad, with persistent Embryo conicus, basalis, 4 mm. longus, leaf sheath fibres. Internodes with verti­ 3 mm. latus. Folium plantulae binatum. cal wrinkles, bark somewhat corky. Stilt Habitat in clivis et secus fluvios, 800 roots to 1.5 em. in diameter, dark brown m., Hill Dipterocarp Forest, Kepahiang, with rows of paler, conical, spongy, Bengkulu, Sumatra. short, lateral, pneumatophore roots to 1 Holotypus: Dransfield 12.)4, 12.2.71. mm. long. 8-10 in crown, spread­ BO (lsotypi BH, K, L). ing, to 3 m. long including sheath; leaf Diagnosis. Differing from all other sheath to 50 em., long pale yellowish­ species of Nen~a in the interfoliar in­ green, not cleanly dehiscing from the florescence bearing one persistent coria­ stem, but rotting to form a fibrous ves­ ceous spathe, pairs of male flowers ill 5­ tige of the leaf sheath base; sheaths cov­ 7 rows, and in the head of fruit. ered in sparse dark brown indumentum Description. Solitary, squat, unarmed, when young. to 75 em. long by monoecious, undergrowth, forest palm. 2.5 em. in diameter, circular in cross­ Stem stout, stilt-rooted, to 2 m. high and section, with sparse dark brown indu­ 15 em. in diameter below the leaves, grey- mentum. Rhachis about halfway along 32 PRINCIPES [Vol. 19

narrowest point, 10 em. from the base, covered in scurfy brown indumentum, especially at the margins. Spathe split­ ting down one lateral edge for :xl-Va of its length, and the inflorescence emerg­ ing laterally through the split, spathe long-persisting through anthesis and then rotting to leave fibrous vestiges at fruit­ ing. Inflorescence with 3-5 branches all of the first order. Peduncle to 25 em., elliptic in cross-section, 20 X 8 mm. when fresh, dark purplish-brown, cov­ ered in sporadic, brown, branched hairs. Rachillae each subtended by a short, thick, stiff, triangular bract to 5 mm. long and 5 mm. broad at the base. The lower 2-4 rachillae male, 10-12 em. long by 5 mm. in diameter without the flowers, the terminal rachilla to 10 em. long by 8 mm. in diameter at the base, male and female, or rarely male only, and then the entire inflorescence male; lower 1-3 rachillae ca. 1-3 em. distant, the penultimate and terminal rachillae close; male rachillae bare of 7. Nenga gajah Kepahiang, August, 1973. flowers in the lowermost 1-2 em., the Note stilt roots. apical rachilla with male and female in the lower 3-4 em., and above this with lamina about 8 mm. in diameter, tri­ male flowers only. Inflorescence dimen­ angular in cross-section, dwindling to 3 sions increasing markedly with age. mm. near apex, with sparse brown scales. Male flowers reaching anthesis before Leaflets regular, 8-10 pairs, the lower 1 the females, grouped in pairs, each pair or 2 pairs unicostate, the upper 3-5-cos­ being subtended by a minute bract on tate, subopposite, held horizontally, sepa­ the rachilla, and each w~th a rated by 3-6 em.; leaflets slightly sig­ minute subtending bracteole; male flower moid, to 60 em. long, to 8 em. broad in groups in 5-7 vertical rows, or tight the middle part of the leaf, long-acumi­ spirals, if the latter, close-packing so nate, slightly paler beneath than above, tight as to give the impression of vertical with scattered pale brown hairs and rows; number of vertical rows decreas­ scales along the main ribs beneath, gla­ ing above; where close-packing with brous above; terminal leaflets diverging neighbouring rachillae tight, single male from each other at an angle of 70°, flowers from pairs aborting and remain­ acuminate, or bifid, or slightly dentate. Inflorescence interfoliar, erect, 30-40 ing as blackened vestiges. em. long. Spathe single, dark brown or Male flowers cream, angular, oblong, purplish, hard, coriaceous or almost to 5 mm. long by 3 mm. wide in bud. woody, to 25 em. long by 4 em. wide at Sepals 3, apparently free, separated, mi­ the widest point, 2.5 em. wide at the nute, triangular, to 0.5 mm. high. Petals 1975] DRANSFIELD: NEW NENGA 33

3, free, thinly coriaceous, oblong, plane mm. inwards leaving a central column of or cucullate, if cucullate, then slightly more or less nonruminate endosperm; acute, petals variable in shape, marked embryo conical, basal, to 4 mm. long by with impression of the stamens within. 3 mm. wide. Seedling leaf bifid. Stamens 6, filaments to 1 mm. long, Habitat: hillslopes and streamsides in anthers medifixed, to 2.5 mm. long by Hill Dipterocarp Forest at 800 m. alti­ 0.5 mm. wide, dehiscence latrorse, ovary tude, Kepahiang, Bengkulu, Sumatra. vestige absent. Pollen grains yellow, Holotype: Dransfield 1234, 12.2.71. sphaerical, uniporate. At anthesis, male BO. (Isotypes in BH, K, L). flowers opening, pushing out between Other specimens examined: Biinne­ neighbouring buds, and then quickly meijer 295, 296, 417, 1013", April-June falling, leaving the bare rachillae, male 1971, N.E. slopes of G. Talakmau, Bukit­ flower development being apparently tinggi, West Sumatra (BO). Drans field acropetal. 3625, 27.8.73., from the type locality Female flowers purplish, in triads, two (BH, BO, K, L, SING). lateral male flowers accompanying a cen­ Seedlings from Dransfield 1234, and tral female, triads in 5-8 vertical rows Dransfield 3267 cultivated in Hortus or vertical rows not prominent owing to Botanicus Bogoriensis. distortion. Flower groups subtended by The two most aberrant features of this minute membranous bracts, each flower palm are the interfoliar inflorescence and subtended by a bracteole. Female flow­ the structure of the male flowers. Inter­ ers rounded, ca. 7 mm. long at anthesis. foliar are unknown else­ Sepals 3, free, valvate, somewhat cu­ where in the small genus Nenga. In cullate, to 7 mm. long by 6 mm. wide at previous accounts of genera of the Are­ the base, coriaceous, persistent, increas­ coideae (cf. Scheffer (1873), Wendland ing in size after anthesis. Petals 3, free, and Drude (1875), Beccari and Pichi­ valvate, coriaceous, long-persisting, to 6 Sermolli (1955) inter alliis), this char­ rom. long, increasing to 1 em. long after acter has been given considerable promi­ anthesis. Staminodes 6, minute, triangu­ nence in the separation of genera; for lar, to 0.5 mm. high. Ovary sphaerical, example, Gigliolia is separated from to 4 mm. in diameter, with a beaklike, Areca by a few characters, one of which conical stigma, obscurely 3-lobed at the is the position of the inflorescence. How­ apex; locule 1, ovule laterally fixed, ever, interfoliar and infrafoliar inflores­ micropyle facing the receptacle. cences are sometimes found within the Infructescence a clublike, pendulous same genus, as in Pinanga (most species head of fruit. Fruit to 8 cm. long by 2.5 with infrafoliar inflorescences, a few em. wide, fusiform, tipped with remains acaulescent species such as P. latisecta of the stigmas; epicarp smooth, glabrous, Blume with interfoliar inflorescences) dark purplish-brown; mesocarp to 4 and interfoliar inflorescences are usually mm. thick, traversed by longitudinal associated with tardily dehiscent or non­ fibres; endocarp smooth, shiny within. dehiscent leaf sheaths (and hence with fusiform 4.5 cm. long by 1.8 em. no well-defined crownshaft) and/or the wide, attached along its length to the acaulescent habit. Furthermore, a Gig­ endocarp by a raphe 4 mm. wide at the liolia species from Bako National Park, base and 1 mm. wide at the apex; testa Sarawak, reported by Moore (1965), has ca. 0.2 mm. thick; endosperm strongly infrafoliar inflorescences, otherwise he­ ruminate, ruminations penetrating ca. 5 ing very similar to G. insignis with the 34 PRINCIPES [Vol. 19 interfoliar inflorescences more usual in Nenga. In the ripe fruit of Nenga pumila the genus, and an as yet undescribed and its allies, the fibres of the endocarp Areca from Sumatra shows tendencies are free at both ends when the mesocarp to the interfoliar state. In this last spe­ has eroded away; it is not known whether cies, collected by me in North Sumatra the fruit of N. macrocarpa behaves simi­ in 1973 and by W. Meijer (Meijer 6888) larly, but certainly N. gajah is dissimilar in West Sumatra, the leaves are tardily in this respect. If interfoliar and infra­ dehiscent and tend to mummify on the foliar inflorescences can be found in one before dropping off, and the in­ closely related genus (Pinanga) then it florescences burst through the rotting should not theoretically be unacceptable leaf sheaths at anthesis. As yet, material for the same state to occur in Nenga. of this species is incomplete so cannot The aberrant nature of N eng~ gajah be described. does draw attention to unresolved inter­ In Nenga gajah leaf sheaths do not generic taxonomic problems in the Areca dehisce but rot on the stem, and there­ alliance of the Arecoideae (Moore 1973). fore, by necessity, the inflorescences are It requires much more research to clarify interfoliar and erect at anthesis. Associ­ such problems; I consider it worthwhile ated with the interfoliar state is the to draw attention to these fascinating anomalous, almost woody spathe which problems by publishing the description apparently serves as a longer-lasting pro­ of this species. tection to the inflorescence than do the Little is known of the natural history thin spathes of other Nenga species; in of this palm. In the Bengkulu area it is such species, up till leaf abscission, the locally abundant above 800 m. altitude inflorescence is protected by the leaf on hillslopes and in valley bottoms-I sheath, which, when it falls, releases the know nothing of the upper altitudinal inflorescence, the latter normally quickly limit of the palm as the hills near Kepa­ entering the state of anthesis. hiang where it grows do not exceed 950 In the male flowers of Nenga gajah, m. It is apparently absent from large the calyx is much shorter than the areas of the Bukit Barisan where I have corolla. In N. pumila and its allies (N. hunted palms. The collections from near intermedia, N. schefferana) the calyx Bukittinggi suggest it has a very disjunct lobes are long-acuminate and longer than distribution. Inflorescences at male and the corolla lobes. In N. macrocarpa the female anthesis smell similarly-a pene­ sepals are slightly shorter than or equal trating, musty, sickly-sweet smell remi­ to the petals and are obtuse and rounded. niscent of the smell of the flowers of This series may only represent a grade Pinanga kuhlii-and are visited by small in calyx lengths despite the apparent nitidulid beetles and trigonid bees. Im­ anomaly of N. gajah. mature fruit were often found chewed, Why then should the Sumatran palm and fruits in which the mesocarp had be included in the genus Nenga? The been entirely removed, were found scat­ inflorescence with probably spirally ar­ tered on the forest floor at some distance ranged flower groups, the proximal por­ from the mature plants. What animal is tions bearing triads, and the distal por­ responsible for such dispersal is not tions being entirely male agrees well known, but it is suspected that squirrels with Nenga; similarly the parietal pla­ or other rodents may be the vectors. centation of the ovule would rule out In August, 1973, I had the opportunity Areca and strongly suggests its being to return to the Bengkulu area and was 1975] NEWS OF THE SOCIETY 35 able to recollect "pinang gajah" and to Lrn;RATURf; CITED distribute a limited number of ripe BECCAlll, O. AND R. E. G. PICIlI-SEHMOLJ.I. to the Seed Bank of The Palm Society 1955. Subfamiliae Arecoidearum Palmae under the collector's number Dransfield Gerontogeae. Webbia 11: 1-187. 3627. It is hoped that this weird, aber­ FURTADO, C. X. 1933. The limits of the genus Areca L. and its sections. Repert. rant, but hardly beautiful Nenga can be Spec. Nov. Regni Veg..)3: 217-239. introduced into palm collections. MOlHlE, H. E., .III. 1%5. Palm hunting around the world II. Malaya and Sarawak. Acknowledgments Principes 9: 103-117. --. 1973. The major groups of palms I should like to thank Pak Matsa'a of and their distribution. Gentes Herb. 11 the Department of Nature Conservation, (2): 27-140. Kepahiang, Bengkulu for assistance in SCHEFFER, R. H. C. C. 1873. Sur quelques the field. Sdr. Damhuri, artist of the palmiers du groupe des Arecinees. Na· tuurk. Tijdschr. Ned.·lndic 32: 149-193. Herbarium Bogoriense, prepared the WENDLAND, H. AND O. DIIUDE. 1875. Palmae analytical drawings. Australa~icae. Linnaea 39(5): 155-238.

NEWS OF THE SOCIETY Back Issues of Principes lunch, three tours of the palm gardens were conducted by Myron Kimnach, The Board of Directors voted at the newly elected Vice-President of the soci­ Biennial Meeting to charge $1.50 per ety, Fred Boutin and Bud Hallberg. issue for back numbers of Principes still They showed the many old specimen in stock (Vol. 3, No. 3 onward). palms along with some of the new ones The 11 issues of Vol. 1, No. 1 through planted within the last few years. . Vol. 3, No.2 (Vol. 1 has five issues) are After lunch in one of the meetIng to be reprinted if enough orders are re­ rooms, Fred Boutin and Myron Kimnach ceived. Each issue will cost $2.50 or a took turns telling about and showing total of $27.50 for all 11 issues, includ­ slides of a recent trip they had taken to ing postage and handling. Mexico to hunt the native braheas and Orders for these early issues must be collect seeds. Following this was a plant accompanied by full payment. If all 11 auction to which the Huntington Garden issues are ordered by March 31, 1975, a and some of the members had donated prepublication discount of 10% may be plants. The interest of the members is deducted from the order. The discount evinced by the fact that a 2-in. pot of does not apply on less than the 11 issues, Wallichia disticha with two tiny leaves or if the reprints are ordered after the went for $25 and a purple crown-shafted above date. Pinanga in a 3-in. pot sold for $10. Chapter Notes Everyone evidently came with money and was ready to bid, so it turned out to A Special Meeting of the Western be a very successful money-raising event. Chapter of the Palm Society was held During the business meeting chairman September 21, 1974 at 10:30 a.m. to Lee Phelps resigned and Ralph Velez, a 3:30 p.m. at the Huntington Botanical schoolteacher from Westminster, was Gardens in San Marino, California. It elected new Chairman. He is a long-time turned out to be a beautiful day and ap­ member and in his small yard has one of prOXimately 90 members attended the the best collections of palms in Califor­ meeting. Before partaking of a catered nia for so small an area. The group is