BIODIVERSITAS ISSN: 1412-033X Volume 20, Number 7, July 2019 E-ISSN: 2085-4722 Pages: 1887-1896 DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d200714 Inventory of orchids in Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi, Indonesia DWI MURTI PUSPITANINGTYAS Center for Plant Conservation-Bogor Botanical Gardens, Indonesian Institute of Sciences. Jl. Ir. H. Djuanda No. 13, Paledang, Bogor 16122, West Java, Indonesia. Tel.: +62-251-8322187, Fax.: +62-251-8322187, email:[email protected]; [email protected] Manuscript received: 21 May 2019. Revision accepted: 18 June 2019. Abstract. Puspitaningtyas DM. 2019. Inventory of orchids in Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 1887-1896. Sulawesi is the fourth largest island in Indonesia. It is also a unique island, possessing very high biodiversity due to its location in the Wallacea area, and having combined plants from both Asia and Australia. An inventory of orchids in Polewali Mandar District was conducted from 25 May to 13 June 2014 to assess the orchid diversity in the area. Orchid specimens were collected by using explorative method. A total of 60 accession numbers were collected in the study area. These collections represent 22 genera and 51 species, consisting of 41 epiphytic orchids and 10 terrestrial orchids. Some species are widely distributed in Indonesia, but few species are found only in eastern part of Indonesia such as Wallacea region, and are even endemic to Sulawesi. Luisia celebica Schltr. and Micropera sterrophylla (Schltr.) Garay are noted as endemic to Sulawesi, while Dendrobium bicaudatum Reinw. ex Lindl., Habenaria beccarii Schltr., Malaxis trigonopetala (J.J.Sm.) S.Thomas, Schuit. & de Vogel and Pinalia quinquangularis (J.J.Sm.) Ormerod are endemic to the Wallacea region, mainly Sulawesi and Moluccas. Among those orchids found in the study, Dendrobium clavator Ridl., Pinalia quinquangularis (J.J.Sm.) Ormerod, and Pinalia xanthocheila (Ridl.) W.Suarez & Cootes are noted as new records in Sulawesi. Many new records of orchids are still to be expected from Sulawesi. Keyword: Orchid, Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi, inventory, exploration INTRODUCTION detailed information about the distribution and ecological character, especially in conservation areas is still very Indonesia has two of the world’s 25 biodiversity limited (Sulistiarini and Mahyar 2003). hotspots, the Sundaland and Wallacea. Sulawesi with land Exploration research is an important step in efforts for area of 174,600 square km, is the fourth largest island of ex situ plant conservation. Bogor Botanic Gardens as an Ex Indonesia. It is also a unique island because it is located on Situ Conservation Institution has an important role in plant the Wallacea line which has a mixed flora from both Asia species conservation, carrying out population studies, plant and Australia and is thought of having very high propagation, breeding, and reintroduction. The aim of this biodiversity (van Steenis 1950). It is the most geologically research reported here was to inventory the diversity of complex island as habitat for mixed flora and fauna from orchid species in Polewali Mandar District, West Sulawesi Asia and Australia and is also a place of evolution of Province. In addition, this study also collected orchids of various endemic fauna (Coates et al. 2000). Its flora is most Sulawesi Island which can be used not only for closely related to the floras of dry areas in the Philippines, conservation purposes, but also for research, education, Moluccas, Lesser Sundas, and Java. The lowland forests reintroduction, and commercial purposes. have affinities to New Guinea, whereas the upland areas are more related to Borneo (Whitten et al. 1987). The richness of Sulawesi's flora has not been fully MATERIALS AND METHODS revealed until now. Schlechter (1925) estimated the endemic orchids to Sulawesi to be around 253 species, The research was conducted in Polewali Mandar more than the record of Smith (1929) which was only 161 District, West Sulawesi, Indonesia from 25 May to13 June species. The latest publication on the inventory of orchids 2014, in 8 locations at altitudes between 175 m and 395 m, in Sulawesi and Maluku (Thomas and Schuiteman 2002) namely Butu Alla hillside, Mapinni-Bulo Village and Bulo recorded 820 species, 60% of which (548 species) were Sub-district with an altitude of 175 m, Butu Tahuana found in Sulawesi. These collections are stored in BO hillside, Pulliwa Village, Bulo Sub-district 217-380 m, (Herbarium Bogoriense), CP (Herbarium Department of Ba’batapua Village, Matanga Sub-district 392 m, Kalimbua Plant Pathology, Copenhagen), G (Herbarium Village, Tapango Sub-district 246 m, Tapua Village, Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques de la Ville de Geneve), Matanga Sub-district 371 m, Mambutapua Village, K (Kew), L (Leiden), NSW (National Herbarium of New Matanga Sub-district 384 m, Ambo Padang Village, Tutar South Wales) and PNH (Philippine National Herbarium) Sub-district 295 m, Tubbi Village, Tubbi Sub-district 265 and the collections were mostly collected from South m. The latitude & longitude of these locations are between Sulawesi (Sulistiarini and Mahyar 2003). Even though S 03°13’07,8” to S 03°17’14,5” and E 119°02’47,7” to E there is a lot of information about these plants, but the 119°16’22,9”. The soil acidity (soil pH) was about 3.8-5.9, 1888 BIODIVERSITAS 20 (7): 1887-1896, July 2019 the temperature during the day was between 27.8-30.4°C, (2013) (www.theplantlist.org). Only specimens of abundant relative humidity during the day ranged from 72.8-90.9%. species were collected to support in situ conservation The exploration activity was based on plant collection purpose, while some rare specimens were only recorded or by using explorative method. The exploration method is photographed for documentation. Living materials were carried out by following/using a path that is usually used by mostly planted out in Masenrempulu Enrekang Botanic local people in hunting, looking for firewood or herbal Gardens, South Sulawesi and some species were also medicines, and also making new pathways (Hidayat et al. planted in Bogor Botanic Gardens, West Java for ex situ 2017). Sampling living specimens were done when conservation purposes. founding orchids by chance. The living specimens were recorded, identified and given collection number for inventory purpose. This was supplemented with RESULTS AND DISCUSSION environment data measured in Polewali Mandar District, i.e. latitude, altitude, relative humidity, air temperature and Approximately 60 accession numbers of orchids were soil acidity. The tools used were GPS (Global Positioning collected in the study area, consisting of 22 genera and 51 System), Thermo-Hygrometers and soil pH meters. species, 41 of which were epiphytic and 10 terrestrial Observation, data recording, collecting of living orchids (Table 1). The number of species for each genus is and documentation were carried out during exploration. presented in Figure 2. Identification was done by observing plant morphology Table 1 and Figure 2 show that some genera were namely leaves, stems, roots, and flowers. For identification represented only by a single species, namely Acriopsis, to species level, observation on flower morphology is Luisia, Micropera, Pteroceras, Thelasis, Thrixspermum, needed. Most orchid without flower can only be identified Acanthephippium, Corymborkis, Crepidium, Dienia, to genus level. However, some species of orchids that have Malaxis, and Vanilla. Genus Dendrobium had the highest specific vegetative characteristics can be identified to number of species (9 species), followed by Genus species level even though they are not flowering. Oberonia (6 species). The highest number of orchids was Identification to genus or species level was done using found in Butu Tahuana hillside, Pulliwa Village, Bulo Sub- literature (Comber 1990; Seidenfaden and Wood 1992; district (15 species), then in Tapua Village, Matanga Sub- Comber 2001; O’Byrne 2001, 2011) and reference to living district (12 species) and Mambutapua Village, Matanga collections in Bogor Botanic Gardens. Valid names were Sub-district (12 species). attributed based on the current listings in The Plant List 7 1 4 2 6 8 3 5 Figure 1. Location of exploration activities in Polewali Mandar District, West Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. 1. Tapua Village, Matanga Sub-district (371 m asl.), 2. Butu Tahuana hillside, Pulliwa Village, Bulo Sub-district (217 m asl.), 3. Kalimbua Village, Tapango Sub- district (246 m asl.), 4. Mambutapua Village, Matanga Sub-district (384 m asl.), 5. Butu Alla hillside, Mapinni-Bulo Village, Bulo Sub- district (175 m asl.), 6. Ba’batapua Village, Matanga Sub-district (392 m asl.), 7. Tubbi Village, Tubbi Sub-district (265 m asl.), 8. Ambo Padang Village, Tutar Sub-district (295 m asl.) PUSPITANINGTYAS – Orchids of Polewali Mandar, Indonesia 1889 Epiphytic orchids most diverse in terms of plant habits and flower shapes The genus Acriopsis can be recognized by their (O’Byrne 2011). It has been divided into sections (Comber crowded egg-shaped pseudobulbs surrounded by nest of 1990). Out of nine species of Dendrobium found in this erect white roots; each pseudobulb has 2-4 linear leaves at area, only five could be identified to species level, namely the apex, growing as an epiphyte on trees. This genus has Dendrobium acerosum Lindl., Dendrobium anosmum eight or nine species distributed to South East Asia to Lindl., Dendrobium bicaudatum Reinw. ex Lindl., Australia (O’Byrne 2011). One of them is Acriopsis Dendrobium clavator Ridl., and Dendrobium crumenatum liliifolia (J.Koenig) Seidenf, which is formerly named Sw. Acriopsis javanica Reinw. ex Blume (Comber 1990). It is Dendrobium acerosum is included in section Strongyle. very common species found in South East Asia from It forms tufts of stems. Leaves are thick and fleshy, with lowland to highland forest. It has long slender short curved terete, sharply pointed, distichous spaced inflorescences with many branches, bearing numerous widely apart. The upper part of the stem has many small cross-shaped flowers. Flowers are 1.2 mm broad, inflorescences, each producing 1-4 flowers at a time.