Biology Scientia Bruneiana, Vol. 17, No. 1 2018 Checklist of Seedplant holdings of the UBD Herbarium (UBDH), with 234 new plant records for Brunei Darussalam Azim Zamri1 and J.W.F. Slik1* 1Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong, BE1410, Brunei Darussalam *corresponding author email: [email protected] Abstract Here we provide a checklist of all seed plant collections (Angiosperms and Gymnosperms) present in the UBD Herbarium (UBDH). The plants are arranged in alphabetical order by family, genus and species, using the latest taxonomic classifications. UBDH contained a total of 5271 databased seed plant collections (1060 fertile, and 4211 sterile), consisting of 1386 species from 130 families. The collections covered only a limited part of Brunei Darussalam, being concentrated near the easily accessible coastal zones of Muara, Tutong and Belait, as well as near the Kuala Belalong Field Study Centre in Temburong. Because the majority of collections in UBDH came from permanent forest plots, the collections are dominated by tree families, with Dipterocarpaceae both the most collected and species rich family. We found 234 species in UBDH that were not listed in the Brunei checklist and are potentially new records for Brunei Darussalam. This would increase the known number of seed plants in Brunei by ca. 5%. The high number of new species records suggests that the Brunei seed plant flora is still incompletely known. Index Terms: Brunei Darussalam; Brunei checklist; UBDH holdings; new species records; UBD Herbarium; seed plants. 1. Introduction 2. Materials and Methods The UBD Herbarium (UBDH) was established in The checklist was based on an existing specimen 1994 with the purpose of having a permanent data base that was available in Microsoft Excel collection of dried plants that allows students and (see Figure 1 and Table 1). This database staff to further their research. A detailed contained all 9862 specimens stored inside the description of the UBDH history, aims and future herbarium cabinets. About 16,000 specimens of development is provided by Polgar et al.1 The trees from Indonesia, 1000 specimens of ferns current herbarium has 9862 databased plant from China and Sarawak, and several hundred specimens, mostly from Brunei Darussalam. Of specimens that had not yet been entered into the these, 5271 specimens are seed plants. main collection and data base were not included in the present checklist. Since we focused on The aim of this study was to produce a complete seed plants only, algae, bryophytes, lycopods and checklist of all seed plant (Gymnosperm and ferns present in the original database were Angiosperm) species present in the UBD excluded, leaving 5271 seed plant specimens for herbarium, provide a map with collecting the current checklist. localities, determine the most commonly collected and species rich families, and check for The checklist was organized alphabetically by new species records for Brunei Darussalam. family and within families alphabetically by genus and species. The classification of the plants followed the latest Angiosperm Phylogeny Group 6 Biology Scientia Bruneiana, Vol. 17, No. 1 2018 classification.2 Synonymy issues were resolved information was obtained from GBIF4 and the using the The Plant List3 and the Global Brunei checklist.5 Species that were not Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).4 For identified with certainty (indicated by a question each species we extracted the following data mark in the original data base) were omitted from from the original specimen data base: the checklist. New species observations for Brunei were determined by comparing our [Family Name] checklist with the existing checklist of Brunei.5 [Genus] [Species] [Author] [Reference] [Native Species not found in the Brunei checklist5 were or Not] considered new species observations. Since many [Local Name] [Growth Form] [Location] collections in the UBD herbarium are sterile, [Habitat] [Elevation] [Collection numbers] identifications are all subject to some uncertainty. However, it is important to have this preliminary Example: information available to researchers and government agencies as a working list. ACANTHACEAE Acanthus ilicifolius L. (Sp. Pl. 639 [1753]) Most specimens were geo-referenced in the [Native] original data base, either because the original Local Name: Jerudu; Growth Form: Small collectors provided GPS coordinates with their Shrub; Location: Brunei-Muara; Habitat: collections, or by using location information Disturbed Mangrove Forest, On Muddy Soils, provided on the specimen labels in combination River Bank and Fringe; Elevation: 8 m above with Google Earth Pro6 to extract the location seas level (asl); Collections: DIBS-5, JOR1. coordinates. We used this information to create a collection distribution map by superimposing a Not all information for each category (i.e. local scatter plot of the collection coordinates on top of name, growth form, etc.) was present for each a map of Brunei Darussalam. species in the data base. In such cases the Figure 1. The raw Excel database of the plants in UBD Herbarium where ferns (in red text) are excluded and an example of an unconfirmed species indicated in yellow. 3. Results and Discussion A total of 5271 of the 9862 databased collections The collections cover only a limited part of belonged to seed plants. Of these 1060 were Brunei Darussalam, being concentrated near the fertile collections mostly collected during easily accessible coastal zones of Muara, Tutong botanical surveys, while 4211 were sterile and and Belait, as well as near the Kuala Belalong mostly collected from permanent forest plots. Field Study Centre in Temburong (see Figure 2). 7 Biology Scientia Bruneiana, Vol. 17, No. 1 2018 Very few collections have been made in the majority of these new records were interior of Brunei. represented by sterile material, introducing uncertainty in their identification accuracy. If The 5271 seed plant collections in UBDH all 234 new species records are confirmed, it consisted of 1386 species belonging to 130 would increase the known Brunei seed plant families (see Appendix 1). Most of the species flora by ca. 5%. Despite the uncertainty in were collected from Temburong and Belait species identifications, the high number of districts (see Figure 3), which is linked to the new species records does suggest that the presence of several permanent forest plots there. Brunei seed plant flora is still incompletely Because the majority of collections in UBDH known. As a first step to overcome this, a come from permanent forest plots, the collections combined checklist of the holdings of the are dominated by tree families, with Brunei National Herbarium (BRUN) and Dipterocarpaceae both the most collected and UBDH would form an useful update of the species rich family (see Figure 4). existing Brunei checklist.5 Furthermore, a coordinated collecting effort, with emphasis We found 234 species in UBDH that were not on as yet unvisited locations in Brunei, is listed in the Brunei checklist5 (see Table 2). essential to increase our knowledge of the These are potentially new records for Brunei Brunei seed plant flora. Darussalam. We have to be cautious because a Table 1. List of information provided in the Excel specimen database. Specimen details Collection details Location Extra details Record number Collector’s name Country Loan to Family – Genus – Species Collector number Province – District – Loan date and return Sub district date Vernacular name Collector suffix Location details Type status Sublevel category and Collection date Geology Duplicate institutes sublevel name Vegetation type and Habitat Received date Altitude Cabinet store number Species author and reference Identified by and Elevation Duplication number Identification date Uses and plant notes Previously Longitude Index number identified by and identification date Previous family – genus – Latitude Picture species name 8 Biology Scientia Bruneiana, Vol. 17, No. 1 2018 Figure 2. Collection localities of 1183 plant collections present in UBDH. 800 712 700 600 520 500 400 294 300 189 200 Species number Species 100 0 Brunei-Muara Tutong Belait Temburong Figure 3. The number of species per district present in the UBDH. Acknowledgements Norhaslinda Bte Wasli, Nur Amal Nazira Bte We would like to thank the following volunteers Zaman, Nur Hafidzah Bte Hanafi, Nurhazwani for their enthusiasm in databasing the 9862 plant Bte Sirun, Nurul Amirah Bte Ishak/Asahak, collections in UBDH: Dewi Norsaleha Bte Nurul Atiqah Bte Brahim, Nurul Hazlina Bte Abdulla Duat, Diyana Zafirah Bte Kamis, Zaini, Nuryusreen Ardene Bte Kipli/Zulkifli, and Hanisha Bte Hashim, Joshua Andrew Maltby- Sumi Yuami. Many UBD staff of the Faculty of Gander, Noor Anasuha Bte Rosli@Shahrina, Science (FOS) actively contributed at 9 Biology Scientia Bruneiana, Vol. 17, No. 1 2018 administrative, technical, and logistical levels. In to the UBD Estate Department, for their particular, we wish to thank: Hj Mohd Jamil Bin assistance with maintaining the UBDH Dato Hj Abd Hamid (laboratory superintendent), infrastructure, and the National Herbarium of Ong Bee Ling (chief technician), Helen Y. K. Brunei (BRUN) for their help in identifying Pang (former curatorial assistant), Ting Wei many of the UBDH plant collections. (technician), and Abby Tan (Dean). Thanks also 120 107 100 79 80 65 59 58 56 60 54 46 45 41 40 31 31 31 Species 29 28 20 0 500 438 450 400 350 300 267 238 232 230 250 215 193 187 200 175 166 164 153 148 142 142 150 Collections 100 50 0 Figure 4. The top 15 most collected and species rich families in the UBDH. References [2] APG-IV, "An update of the Angiosperm [1] G. Polgar, et al., “The Universiti Brunei Phylogeny Group classification for the Darussalam biological collections: History, orders and families of flowering plants: present assets, and future development”, APG IV", Botanical Journal of the Linnean Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 2018, 66, 320- Society, 2016, 181, 1-20. 336, 2018. 10 Biology Scientia Bruneiana, Vol. 17, No. 1 2018 [3] “The Plant List, a working list of all plant [5] M.