Licuala coccinisedes Barfod & Heatubun, 2022

Barfod, Anders S. & Heatubun, Charlie D., 2022, Seven new species of Licuala (Livistoninae, Arecaceae) from New Guinea, Phytotaxa 555 (1), pp. 1-16 : 5-8

3. Licuala coccinisedes Barfod & Heatubun , sp. nov.

Type:― PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Sandaun Province: Bewani , sea level, 3°1’S, 141°8’E, 19 March 2000, Barfod et al. 484 (holotype

AAU!; isotypes BRI!, CANB!, K!, LAE!) Figures 3C−D, 4. Diagnosis: ― Licuala coccinisedes differs from L. bacularia by having white, mostly solitary flowers, which are borne on crimson-red pedicels. The leaf segments have straight lateral margins, as opposed to slightly curved lateral margins in L. bacularia .

Single–stemmed, shrubby palm, to 2 m tall. Stem 2−2.5 cm in diam. Leaves 12−20 in crown; leaf sheath 15−20 cm long, brown, breaking up into a fibrous mesh, distal part sometimes detached from petiole in 2 strap-like, 20−25 long extensions; petiole 40−100 cm long, 8–10 mm wide at the bae, 5–6 mm wide below the insertion of the lamina, covered basally by patches of ferruginous, woolly tomentum, armed on lower half; blade rounded in outline, divided into 7−11 segments, these with straight lateral margins and covered by scattered, minute, ferruginous, possibly glandular hairs on lower surface, otherwise glabrous; mid–segment 35−55 cm long, not bifid, 15−20 cm across at the apex, clearly wider than remaining segments, rounded to truncate, indentations leading to adaxial ribs 5–10 mm long, those leading to abaxial ribs less than 5 mm long. Inflorescence 60−90 cm long, erect branched to the second order with 5−6 first order branches; peduncle 22−28 cm long, not or shortly exposed distally; prophyll 20–25 cm long, ca. 5 mm wide basally, covered by ferruginous tomentum increasing in density towards the distal part, splitting cleanly and irregularly; peduncular bract one or lacking; rachis straight to curved distally; basal rachis bract 8–9 cm long, proximal first order branch, erect with 1−2 cm long peduncle and 0.5−1 cm long rachis, bearing 3–5 rachillae, each 6−10 cm long, minutely pubescent, spreading. Flowers solitary, hermaphroditic, subtended by 0.2–0.5 mm long bract, pedicel, 0.5−0.6 mm long, pink to crimson red at anthesis; calyx campanulate, 1.2−1.5 mm long, fused with receptacle for less than 0.3–0.4 mm, glabrous, neatly splitting in 3 up to 0.5−0.7 mm, triangular lobes; corolla pale cream, 1.6−1.8

FIGURE. Licuala bankae . A. Habit. B. Part of rachilla with flowers at anthesis. Licuala coccinisedes . C. Part of rachilla with flowers at anthesis. Note red pedicels. D. Mature fruits. A, B from Barfod 449, C, D from Barfod 484. All photos: Anders S. Barfod.

FIGURE. Licuala coccinisedes . A. Leaf lamina and part of petiole. B. Leaf base with leaf sheath attached. C. Lower and upper part of Inflorescence D. Rachilla with flowers in different phases of opening. E. Flower. F. Flower in longitudinal section. G. Staminal ring in inside view. H. Fruit. I. Fruit in transverse section. Scale bar: A, B = 12 cm, C = 4 cm, D = 7 mm, E, F = 1.5 mm, G = 1.6 mm, H, I = 5 mm. A–I from Barfod 484. Drawn by Lucy T. Smith.

mm long, lobes 1−1.2 mm long; staminal ring about 0.5 mm high, anthers inserted in two levels, about 0.3 mm long; ovary 0.7–0.8 mm long, truncate to rounded apically, style 0.7−0.8 mm long, locules situated in lower half. Fruit red at maturity, globose, 9−11 mm in diam.; mesocarp ca. 1 mm thick; endocarp brittle, smooth. Seed 7–9 mm in diam., endosperm with central cavity.

Distribution: ―Known from the Bewani and Cyclops Mountains in northern central New Guinea and a single record from North Fly in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea.

Habitat: ―Rainforest understorey at sea level to 750 m.

Local names: ― Lump Bral (Bewani), Yal Bral (Bewani).

Conservation status: ―Vulnerable. Licuala coccinisedes has a restricted distribution. Deforestation due to mining and logging concessions is a major threat in its distribution range.

Etymology: ―The epithet refers to the crimson-red pedicels.

Notes: ―The crimson-red pedicels that reveals the identity of this species are not conserved in dried voucher specimens

Specimens examined: ― INDONESIA. Papua Province: Jayapura Regency, North Cyclops Mountains , 50 m, 2°30’S, 140°32’E, 8 February 2001, Desianto 22 (AAU!, K!, MAN!) ; PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Western Province: North Fly District, junction of Harvey Creek and Ok Mani River , 10 km WNW of Tabubil, 750 m, 5°14’28”S, 141°8’22”E, 14 December 2000, Baker 1136 (AAU!, K!, LAE!) ; Sandaun Province: Ituly village, 200 m, 3°2’S, 141°8’E, 26 November 1996, Barfod 407 (AAU!); Apambo village , 200 m, 3°2’S, 141°8’E, 26 November 1996, Barfod 408 (AAU!) .