Pandanus bintunii Wiriadinata sp nov, REINWARDTIA Vol 12, Part 5, pp: 443– 446 443 A NEW SPECIES OF PANDANUS (PANDANACEAE) FROM BINTUNI BAY, WEST PAPUA Received December 7, 2008; accepted December 16, 2008. HARRY WIRIADINATA Herbarium Bogoriense, Botany Division, Research Center for Biology LIPI. Jl. Raya Jakarta- Bogor Km 46, Cibinong 16911, Indonesia ABSTRACT WIRIADINATA, H. 2009. A new species of Pandanus (Pandanaceae) from Bintuni Bay, West Papua. Reinwardtia 12(5): 443–446. — Pandanus bintuniensis Wiriadinata collected from Bintuni Bay, West Papua is described. It is very close to P. permicron Kanehira, but differs in wider leaf and brownish green coloured young leaf. Key words: Pandanus bintuniensis, Bintuni Bay, West Papua. ABSTRAK WIRIADINATA, H. 2009. Satu jenis baru Pandanus (Pandanaceae) dari Teluk Bintuni, Papua Barat. Reinwardtia 12(5): 443–446. — Pandanus bintuniensis Wiriadinata berasal dari teluk Bintuni, Papua dipertelakan sebagai jenis baru. Jenis tersebut mirip dengan jenis Pandanus permicron Kanehira tetapi berbeda pada helaian daun yang lebih lebar dan berwarna hijau kecoklatan Kata kunci: Pandanus bintuniensis, teluk Bintuni, Papua Barat. INTRODUCTION During a floristic survey of Bintuni Bay in August-September 2002, supported by URS, on an open area behind the coastal forest of near the mouth of Bintuni river a small population of attractive short stemmed Pandanus species was observed. In fact, a study of Pandanus in Papua is very limited (Merrill & Perry, 1939). Several living plants of this species were collected and planted in Bogor. They grew well and after several years produced flowers and fruits. The female flowers similar to those of P. permicron Kanehira (Fig. 10, Kanehira, 1940) but further investigation reveal that they are different especially in wider leaf size which brownish green when young. Consequently it is proposed to describe it as a new species. It belongs to the section Acrostigma (Jebb, 1991). Pandanus bintuniensis Wiriadinata sp. nov.— Fig. 2–9, 11. Pandanus permicron Kanehira, lamina laterrimus, cephalia brevissimus, bractea et stigma differed. Typus: Bogor, introduced from Bintuni Bay, Tanah Merah, West Papua, 50 m asl., December 2005, Harry Wiriadinata HW 13274, cephalia (BO–Holo). Perennial herb with very short stem, erect, without prop root nor aerial roots. Leaves tufted, developed gradually long, total number of leaves are 27 when produce cephalia and male inflorescences, arranged spirally, dextrose, sessile, linear, tip acuminate, sharply aculeate with 1 mm long spines along margins and on part of the lower surface of the midrib, minutely spiny on the upper surface of the 2 lateral folds, glaucous, 30–60 x 3.5–5 cm; young leaves brownish green, mature leaves green or brownish green above the base, brown beneath. Female inflorescence terminal, peduncle erect ca. 10 cm long, young leaf upper bract ca. 19 x 3.5 cm, elliptic oblong, parallel nerves, spiny along margins and on midrib below, upper side spiny on the ridge of folded blades. Bracts boat-shape, yellowish white, 4 x 3 cm. Calyx thin, transculent. Cephalia rounded, 3–3.5 cm in diameter, contain ca. 92 drupes; drupes 12 mm long, 3 mm in diameter, pyramid shaped with 4 angular at base, white when in bud, green in young turning reddish orange, stigmatic beak shaped, acute. Seeds with thin aril, white, base acuminate, tip flat, 11 mm long, 0.5 mm diameter, white. Male inflorescence terminal, axis erect, poorly racemes 3 branches of 4.5 cm long and 1.5 cm in diameter; bract oblong, brownish green, acute, finely spiny along margins, ca. 6 x 2.5 cm; bracteoles 2, boat-shaped, concave, white, tip acuminate, 3–3.5 x 2 cm; pedicels 2 cm; stamens numerous, anthers 7 mm long, white, split longitudinal. Distribution and habitat. Bintuni bay, southern part of West Papua. Lowland area very close to REINWARDTIA [VOL.12 444 Melaleuca leucadendra forest, of about 200 m to the beach; soil type of sandy soil and considered somewhat poor soil. Habitat is an open area of disturbed or secondary forest and its community consists of Melaleuca leucadendra, Myristica fatua, Artocarpus elasticus, Vatica rassak, Flindersia amboinense, Galearia celebica. Fig. 1. Map of Papua. An arrow indicates Tanah Merah, Bintuni Bay Notes. Observation on cultivated plant indicate that it would need almost 10 months or more from cutting to produce flower. Flower usually come in late December or January. The plant produces one type of sexual flower which appear at terminal branch. The male inflorescence branch could produce 3 bunches of staminate flowers after it has produce 27 leaves, the stamens start to open around in the morning before sun rise, remain fresh for 1–2 days and the mush pollen is generally depleted in the 3rd day. The female inflorescence branch has 27 leaves and then produces female inflorescences; the young bud of cephalia usually hidden by sandy soil construct by ants. Some small ants covered the young cephalia with sandy soil at the opening of the bracts to protect them. The cephalia can emerge from the bracts within one week and remain fresh for 7–8 months. The colour of cephalia is dark green turning reddish orange in maturity. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Acknowledgement is given to URS and BP Oil company which give me opportunity to go to Bintuni bay, Papua and for their financial support. REFERENCES JEBB, M.1991. A guide to Pandanus in New Guinea, The Bismarck Archipelago and The Solomon Islands. Christensen Research Institute, Madang, PNG. KANEHIRA, R. 1940. A summary of our knowledge of Papuan Pandanus. Bot. Mag., Tokyo 54(643): 258. MERRIL, E. & PERRY, L. 1939. On the Brass collections of Pandanaceae from New Guinea. Journ. Arn. Arb. 20: 139–186. Pandanus bintuniensis in cultivation Fig. 2. Plants before flowering, 10 months old Fig. 3. Plants in flower, 1 year old 2009] WIRIADINATA: New Species of Pandanus from Bintuni Bay, West Papua 445 Female inflorescences Fig. 4. Cephalia first week Fig. 5. Cephalia second week Fig. 6. Cephalia 1 month Fig. 7. Cephalia 7-9 months Male inflorescences Fig. 8. The first day Fig. 9. The third day REINWARDTIA [VOL.12 446 Fig. 10. Pandanus permicron Fig. 11. Pandanus bintuniensis