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 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!) .