Thursday, September 29, 2016

[Botany • 2016] Lifting the Curtain on Our Knowledge of New Guinean Benstonea (Pandanaceae)


FIGURE 2. AB. Benstonea ihuanaC. Benstonea rostellataD. Benstonea papuanaE. Benstonea permicron.
A. Photo: P. Homot. B. Photo: T. Laman. C. From Heatubun1253 (Photo: C. Heatubun). D. Heatubun et al. 1017 (Photo: C. Heatubun). E. Mustaqim et al. 1529 (Photo: W. Mustaqim) 

Abstract
New Guinea is one of the centres of diversity of Benstonea (Pandanaceae), a genus distributed from India to Fiji. Ten species were previously recognised on this island and further field observations, accompanied by the study of available herbarium material have brought new insights into species delimitations within a group of caespitose species with a solitary terminal infructescence. The taxonomical identity of Benstonea odoardoi is elucidated and is considered here as a synonym of Benstonea lauterbachii. Three new combinations and a new name—based on names of Pandanus species previously treated as synonyms of Benstonea odoardoi—are proposed for four distinct species belonging to this group of caespitose species and restricted to Indonesian New Guinea and Papua New Guinea. Finally, Pandanus bintuniensis is here considered as a synonym of Benstonea permicron.

 Key words: taxonomy, Indonesian New Guinea, Pandanus, Papua New Guinea


Benstonea odoardoi is a synonym of the large tree B. lauterbachii
• Benstonea lauterbachii (Schumann & Warburg in Warburg 1900: 81) Callmander & Buerki in Callmander et al.(2012: 335).

Three new combinations, a new name and a new synonymy within caespitose species of Benstonea with solitary terminal syncarps

• Benstonea eumekes (H. St. John ex B.C. Stone) Callm. & Buerki, comb. nov. 
• Benstonea ihuana (Martelli) Callm. & Buerki, comb. nov.
• Benstonea rostellata (Merr. & L.M. Perry) Callm. & Buerki, comb. nov.

• Benstonea papuana Callm. & Buerki, nom. nov.




 Martin W Callmander, Ary P Keim, Charlie D. Heatubun, Peter Homot and Sven Buerki. 2016. Lifting the Curtain on Our Knowledge of New Guinean Benstonea (Pandanaceae).
Phytotaxa. 275(2); 168-174. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.275.2.8