lt4 PRINCIPES IYor.42 habit (see Fig. 2), after observingthe sizeable 20-30 cm long, fruit ovoid, white to pink unripe, populationat Khao Sok.This characterin Igua- similar in size to I. belumensr,s. nura is indeed distinct, as observedin other Distribution: Thailand, Phuket, Ranong, species, and is quite different from forms of Chumpon. Habitat: Hill forests, 200 m and stemswith basal suckersor forms that are cae- above. Locally not rare. spitose;of courseadjacent seedlings growing en- Type:Thalland, Phuket, Khao Pra Taew,1997 twined could give a false impression.The new C.K. Lim H1995 (holotype BKF, isotypus KEP) variety has been observedgrowing to 2 m and Other specimens seen: Chumpon, Kao Num sometimesfruiting at less than 1 m. The leaf Sao, 1927, Kerr 12024 (BK) (24793); Ranong, sheathsmay shredrather than fall off neatly; this Muang Len, 1966, Hansen & Smitinand 11960 aspectis unlike thosein the regularpolymorpha (BKF) (37263); Khao Pra Mi, 1966, Hansen & group in Malaysia and accountsfor the interfo- Smitinand 11829 (BKF) (40006), 1972, Larsen liar inflorescences.The trapezoidalpinnae are et al. 30843 (K, BKF) Q7a3Q; Kaper, Khao indistinguishablefrom the latter. It should be Pawta Luangkaew, 1929, Kerr 16918 (K), 1973 notedthat specimensin cultivationcan be quite Geesink and Santisuk 5147 (BKF) (56635), robust, and branched inflorescencesbecome 1979 Shimizu et al. 26758 (BKF) (76638); less delicate or filiform and quite similar to Mueang Chon, l9B7 |Yiyondham et al. 1436 (K); "L those of I. wallichiana (as in specimensof Phuket, Khao Pra Taew,1994, C.K. Lim H1615 wallichianavar. minor" ). Floral budswere noted (KEP, PSM Collection), Ht73I (PSM Collec- to be yellowin color,and the drupesare similar tion). to I. polymorpha, often ovoid and slightly The enithet refers to the location where I first curved,ripening from white to pink and black. obrerued the palm; Thalang was the earlier name The epithethelps to honorone of the geographic for Phuket. The species is apparently quite centersof this variety. widespread with several collections having been Distribution: Thailand, Surat Thani, Khao made from the Ranong area. It is probably not Sok, Takua Pa. Habitat: Limestonehill foresr, uncommon, but appears to be relatively rare in l00m and above.Locally not rare. its type location at 200 m within a hill forest re- Type:Thailand,Surat Thani, Khao Sok, 1997, serve, where P inan g a p atula v ar. mer guens is and C.K. Lim H1993 (holotypeBKF, isotype KEP). another new species of Pinanga are also found. Othercollections seen: Surat Thani, (Pangnga) The taxon is similar in habit and appearance Takua Pa, 1968, Beusekon & Phengklai 706 ro I. tenuis var. khaosokensis, with which it BKF(a70fB); Takua Pa, ).972,Larsen 30BB (K); makes an interesting comparative pairing in in- BangTa Khun, Ban Klong, 1986, Smith & Suma- florescence differences, in parallel with 1. nong GC60 (K); Bang Klong Yee Chang,Klong geonomiformis and L wallichiana, with their spi- Saeng, 1986, Smith & Suma,wongGC62 (K); cate (or forking) and branching rachillae, re- KhaoSok, 1994, C.K. LimHI6IS (KEP),HI724 spectively (see Figs. 3 and 4). The spicate stalks in taxa (PSMCollection). are often vertical; the inflorescences both are interfoliar and the leaf sheaths tend to shred IGUANURA THALANGENSIS rather than to abscise"but do not seem to be lin- geringly marcescent as for L nallichiana. The Iguanura thalangensis C.K. Lim sp. nov. more profuse and infrafoliar infructescences of I. tenuis affinis sed habitu solitario. inflorescentiisque I. belumensis are quite different and recogniz- spiciformibusvel bifurcatis dilfert. Typus:Thailand, Phuket, able from the I. tenuis variants. So far, this 'laew,1997, Khao Pra C.K. Lim H1995 (holotypusBKF, iso- Malaysian relative has not been found in Thai- typus KEP). Iand, and vice versa; the two Thai taxa are thus endemic within the national boundarv. Solitary, stilt-rooted, stem grey or brown, 1.5 cm diameter, erect to 2 m (fruiting from 50 cm height), leaves nine or more in crown. pinnate, An InterimChecklist of IguanuraTaxa in 60 x 24 cm, with usually four pairs of leaflets, PeninsularThailand trapezoidal as in L polymorpha, leaf sheaths Fromviewing collections at BK, BKF,K, KEP, brown shreddingor abscising,internode 1*1.4 SING and with the benefitof recentfield obser- cm, inflorescencestwo or more usually interfo- vations,I would Iist the followingnine taxa(with liar, spicate or bifurcating, sometimesto four, thosenot foundin Malaysiaunderlined): rs98l LIM: PALMSIN PENINSULARTHAILAND lI5 I. wallichiana (Wall. ex Mart.) J.D. Hooker var. wallichi- proposition,as will be addressedin an ongoing anaI. nuhffida D. Hoder, synon. noy. study within the PSM program, which will fur- I. geonomiformis (Griff.) Mart. I. polymorpha Becc. var. polymorpha ther reexamine the Bornean relatives). and in- I. polymorpha Becc. var. integra C.K. Lim var. nov. deed many herbarium collectionshave some- I. speciosaD. Hodel, synon, noy. times mixed the two taxa. The latter is I. bicornie Becc. widespreadalong the westernside ofPeninsular I. divergens D. Hodel Thailand, I. tenuis D. Hodel var. tenuis also at Phuket and Khao Sok (whereit I. tenuis D. Hodel var. khaosokensis C.K. Lim var. nov. appears to be diminishing in population), and I. thalangensisC.K. Lim sp. nov. has recently been found also in Perlis, q new record for Malaysia.The fruit of var. mergi,ensis The last listing by Ruth Kiew (1978) was are usually more profuse, and striking when basedon the then new specimensat K. It includ- ripening, in color a shiny claret before turning ed I. wallichiana var. wallichiana, I. wallichi- black. I have somefamiliarity with Hodel's taxon ana var. malaccensis,which I have since revised and its collectionlocation in Narathiwat;it is in- Io I. geonomiformis,I. polymorpha, and I. bicor- dubitably the same as the Malaysianspecies, nis. Several specimensdetermined as the first andwill thus be reduced: three may now be identifiable as I. tenuis var. khaosokensis,L thalangensls,and I. polymorpha P. patula Bl., Rumphia 2: 86, t. l15; Ridley, var integra, As mentioned,I. diuergensmay re- Materials 2: I43 (I9O7). quire further comparisons large with forms of L Pinanga bowiana D. Hodel, The Palm Journal polymorpha. I also believe that it is surprising 134:35(1997), synon. nov. that I. geonomifurmishas beenfound in that geo- graphical area,as it is mainly a speciesfrom the southernpart of PeninsularMalaysia. PINANGA FRACTIFLEXA PINANGA Pinanga fractiflexa D. Hodel, The Palm Jour- nal136: 17 (1997t. PINANGA BOWIANA I most gladly This taxon has been describedby its author as welcome this new determina- related lo P. auriculata Becc. of Borneo,without tion, surprisingly overdue;apparently there have quoting comparativeevidence or specimensfor beenfew collectionsstudied. This is the nromi- nent clustering consideration. It does require some braverv to speciesseen at Khao Sok, with its crossthe Sunda Shelf to correlalesoecies in ihis distinctively long petioles and coriaceous leaves.The zig-zagrachillae genus;so far the generalperception is that there are also diagnostic, andreminiscent are only threePinanga taxa with known similari- ofanothernew Pinanga species from ties in common to Borneo and Peninsular Johore, due for publication. Hodel omits Malaysia. Even the ubiquitous P malaianu, mention of the unripe fruit, which are bullet- found also in Sumatra,has not been seenin Bor- shaped, turning ovoid and mammilate, beaked neo. The casefor transnationalresearch is nev- and shiny dark green before turning black. This new species erthelessurgent, but calls for considerablecoop- and record for Thailand is also an endemic.As mentioned eration, especially by taxonomists working on elsewhere,the popula- tion the Flora of the Malesianregion. The specimen at the Reserveis diminishing,and an in situ propagationprogram (also Hodel depositedat BK has no fruit, but is clearly for other threatened palms) similar to the numerous collections of Pinangu would seemrecommendable, as hasbeen successfully patula Bl. at SING and KEP (and of courseat FI, undertaken for Kerriod,oxa at Phuket. L, K and CAL) as identified by Beccari and Rid- ley. The taxon rediscovered by Hodel is com- PINANGA BADIA monly found throughout Peninsular Malaysia mainly along the eastern coast from Johore to Pinanga badia D. Hodel, The Palm Journal Kelantan, distinctive (though not unique) with 136: 16-17 (1.997\. its sigmoidal, bicolor leaflets. In leaf form and This is another of the new Pinansa to be habit, and when sterile, it resemblesP. pcr.tula added to the growinglist, again hardly known in var. merguensls Becc. (which is a different previouscollections. As Hodel mentions,the re-.