Key and checklist of Xanthophyllum (Polygalaceae) of Borneo

A key to and a check list of the 56 Xanthophyllum (Polygalaceae) species of Borneo is presented. One species is newly described, X. albicaulis. Xanthophyllum hildebrandii is sunk in X. ellipticum

MISCELLANEOUS SOUTH EAST ASIAN CUCURBIT NEWS

DE WILDE, W.J.J.O. & DUYFES, B.E.E. 2008. Miscellaneous South East Asian cucurbit news. Reinwardtia 12(4):267 – 274. –– This paper contains corrections, additions, and name changes in several genera, which became apparent since previous publications by the authors in these genera.(1) Baijiania A.M. Lu & J.Q. Li: a range-extension(2) Benincasa Savi: a name change(3) Diplocyclos (Endl.) T. Post & Kuntze: lectotypification of the synonym Ilocania pedata Merr.(4) Gymnopetalum Arn.: a name change, designation of two neotypes, a new record(5) Hodgsonia Hook. f. & Thomson: a new subspecies(6) Indomelothria W.J. de Wilde & Duyfjes: the largest fruits(7) Trichosanthes L.: three new varieties, a name change, amendments of fruit descriptionss, and a range-extension(8) Zehneria Endl.: a new species from Mindanao

ANANGIA, A NEW MONOTYPIC GENUS OF CUCURBITACEAE FROM EAST MOLUCCAS

 DE WILDE, W.J.J.O; DUYFEES, B.E.E. & VAN DER HAM, R.W.J.M. 2006. Anangia, a new monotypic genus of Cucurbitaceae from East Moluccas. Reinwardtia 12(3): 219 – 222.– A new monotypic genus of Cucurbitaceae from Morotai (Indonesia) is described. The genus is defined by unique characters, including large sepals, much longer than the petals, and it has distinctly cucurbitoid pollen features. The only species is Anangia macrosepala W.J. de Wilde & Duyfjes

A re-examination of the life and work of A.F.G. Kerr and of his colleagues and friends

Arthur Francis George Kerr’s life is reviewed and related to a previously published account. Kerr’s collecting activity is analysed using an expanded version of the Thai Biogeography Group’s database of collections. 8,666 of the total 48,970 collections are Kerr’s and 3,178 are those of his colleagues and friends. Therefore, the total number of collections made by Kerr and his acquaintances is likely to be larger and more diverse than previously believed. Mapping of these data using GIS show that Kerr’s collecting activities focussed on particular regions of Thailand at particular times. Also large areas of the country remained unexplored by Kerr and his acquaintances: a pattern that, to some extent, persists to this day. The large, but dispersed, archive of Kerr’s photographs, maps, living collections and correspondence indicate that he was a skilled photographer (taking at least 3,000 images), cartographer (producing many hand-drawn maps) and exceptionally acute, accurate and detailed observer (filling numerous notebooks and leaving other records). It is clear that digitising these collections to form an on-line dedicated website is highly desirable to further progress on the flora of Thailand and surrounding countries and would form an unique record of the social history of early 20thC Thailand

Saraca tubiflora, a new species from West-Central Sumatra (Caesalpinioideae)

Saraca staminibus 4 fertilibus, filamentis liberis, 21—25 mm longis; staminodia desunt; tubo calycis 55-70 mm longo, fauce 4-5 mm lata; bracteis atque bracteolis persistentibus, erectopatentibus, 2-3 mm longis. — T y p u s : de Vogel 3008 (L; iso BO). Shrub c. 1 m tall. Leaves 2—4-jugate, glabrous, subsessile, top of rhachis without free appendage; leaflets membranous, drying olivaceous, oblong to oblong lanceolate, at base short-attenuate, top acuminate, 13—22 x 4.5—8 cm, the basal leaflets smallest; basal and apical glands present, very minute. Corymbs glabrous, rather compact, including flowers c. 7—9 cm diam., consisting of 2 or 3 racemose main branches each 2—2.5 cm long, at base c. 1.5 mm diam., each with c. 10 flowers; these dispersed, the pedicels of the lowermost flowers longest, 10—17 mm long; bracts ovate-triangular to long-triangular, glabrous with finely remotely-fimbriate margin (fimbriae c. 0.2 mm), 2—3 mm long, persistent; bracteoles of about the same size as the bracts, long-triangular to oblong, top acute or bluntish, glabrous, with minutely fimbriate edge, 2—3 mm long, rather erecto-patent and more or less clasping the pedicel, not spreading. Flowers somewhat fleshy, glabrous; pedicel stoutish, 10—17 mm, the bracteoles inserted 4—6 mm below the calyx tube; calyx tube 55—70 mm long, gradually tapering to the base, 4—5 mm wide at the throat, base articulated; calyx lobes 4, broadly ovate-elliptic, 10—13 x 5—9 mm. Perfect stamens 4, inserted in the throat, at base united by a very low rim (or ‘disc’) c. 0.5 mm high, staminodes absent; filaments 21—25 mm long, deleted towards the base; anthers not seen (see notes). Vestigial pistil (present only in some flowers) glabrous, vestigial ovary c. 3 mm long, with a c. 2 mm long coiled style with minute stigma; fertile pistil not seen. Pod not seen

Review

This book seems to belong to – and certainly should be used side by side with – the late Marius Jacobs’ “The tropical rain forest – a first encounter” (Dutch version 1981; English edition 1988, 295 pp.), as it has much the same design and contents, and is similarly richly illustrated; it also aims at a better understanding of the necessity in saving the forest for the future. The present volume somewhat more focuses on ecology proper, tries to explain it, and tells what is happening today with the forests, to a broad reading public which surely includes politicians and all kinds of tropical scientists. There is a glossary, and for readers further interested a list of references, and a general index. The nicely executed book contains, as compared to Jacobs’, much additional information, recently discovered facts, new results of forest research, and it offers new opinions on forest ecology, formulated and seen from a somewhat different angle, as by a forester. There is a panorama of most items of tropical rain forest ecology, covered by 10 chapters, with the following headings: An introduction to tropical rain forests – What are tropical rain forests? – Plant life – Rain forest animals – Interconnections between plants and animals/the web of life – Tropical rain forests through time – Forest dynamics – Nutrients and their cycles – Species richness – Tropical rain forests yesterday, today and tomorrow

The genera of tribe Passifloreae (Passifloraceae), with special reference to flower morphology

A comparison of the structure of the flowers of various genera of the tribe Passifloraceae-Passifloreae supported the view of staminodial origin of the disk. The East African genus Schlechterina is kept separate from the West African genus Crossostemma. The genus Efulensia from Equatorial Africa is recognized beside the Madagascan genus Deidamia. Revised key to the genera of the Passifloreae, together with short descriptions

Lythraceae

Contains a taxonomic revision of Lythraceae for Malesia, i.e. the area covering the countries Indonesia, East Timor, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, The Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. Lythraceae, with in Malesia 11 genera, is a well-defined family with the exception of the morphologically deviating Trapa. The largest native genus is Lagerstroemia with 14 species, followed by the (sub)tropical genera Ammannia (7 species) and Rotala (8 species) and the native genera Lawsonia, Pemphis, and Woodfordia (all with 1 species). The genus Cuphea is represented by 6 introduced species of which some are naturalised. The genera Duabanga and Sonneratia (both formerly Sonneratiaceae), Punica (formerly Punicaceae), and Trapa (formerly Trapaceae) are only shortly discussed as they have been previously treated in Flora Malesiana (see list of revised families). The introductory part contains treatises on wood anatomy (by P. Baas) and pollen morphology (by R.W.J.M. van der Ham). The genus and species treatments comprise keys, descriptions, drawings, references, synonyms, typifications, distribution, habitat and miscellaneous notes