Orania littoralis A. P. Keim & J. Dransf., Kew Bulletin 67: 161 (2012)

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
New Guinea present (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A
New Guinea. Endemic to an area within the Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Habitat

  • Lowland rainforest at about sea level. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Discussion

  • Orania littoralis shares many similarities with both O. ferruginea and O. oreophila. However, several morphological characters can be used to distinguish them. In terms of habitat preferences, O. Littoralis differs from O. oreophila in growing in lowland forest at sea-level compared with the montane O. oreophila. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Conservation

  • Critically endangered (CR). The palm is known only from its type, collected at the end of a logging road. It seems highly likely that the palm is threatened with further logging in the area. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Etymology

  • Seacoast-loving. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Description

  • Small palm. Trunk 6 m tall, c. 14 cm diam. (dbh), internodes 5 - 5.5 cm, leaf scars inconspicuous basally, visible on upper part, 3.5 - 4 cm wide below crown.Leaves 12 in crown, spirally arranged, c. 6 m long each; leaf-sheath c. 2 m long, margin disintegrating into fibres, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface with dense red-brown tomentum; petiole short, c. 2 cm diam., with dense red-brown tomentum; rachis c. 4 m long, c. 2 cm diam., with dense red-brown tomentum; leaflets elongate-lanceolate, regularly-arranged leaflets held in one plane, leaflets c. 8 cm distant in the middle part of rachis, c. 67 leaflets on each side of rachis, c. 120 cm long, c. 7 cm wide, adaxial surface bright green, shiny, main vein obvious, other veins ender, abaxial surface with dense white indumentums and red-brown tomentum on main vein, other veins slender, glabrous. Inflorescence spreading, branching to 2 orders, c. 245 cm long; prophyll persistent, c. 63 cm long, disintegrating into fibres when old, adaxial surface greenish yellow, glabrous, abaxial surface with red-brown tomentum; peduncle c. 85 cm long, c. 7 cm diam., with dense red-brown tomentum, c. 3.5 cm diam.; peduncular bract one, woody, c. 240 cm long, acuminate tip, c. 42 cm long, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface with dense red-brown tomentum, splitting in the middle, disintegrating into fibres; rachis c. 160 cm long, with dense red-brown tomentum; first order branches 23, c. 63 - 80 cm each; rachillae thick, not robust, straight, not conspicuously zigzag, c. 40 - 65 cm long, bearing 70 - 78 flower clusters, triads arranged in the half part, c. 2 cm devoid of flowers, triads c. 2 - 2.5 cm distant, rachilla with sparse red-brown tomentum. Staminate flowers with calyx of 3 united sepals, c. 1 mm long; corolla with 3 free petals, c. 9 - 10 mm long, 2 mm wide; stamens 6, filaments free, dark-brown, c. 1 mm long, anthers elongate-lanceolate, pale creamy yellow, always free, c. 6 - 7 mm long; pistillode absent. Pistillate flowers with calyx of 3 united sepals, 1 mm long; corolla with 3 free petals, c. 4 mm long, 3.5 - 4 mmwide; staminodes 6, c. 2 mm long, uniform, tips not hooked; gynoecium dark blackish brown, c. 3 mm long, 4 mm wide, stigma of 3 elongate lobes, 0.8 - 0.9 mm long. Fruit globose or bilobed, c. 4.5 - 5 cm diam., stigmatic remains sub-basal, mature orange to red; endosperm white or creamy white, c. 3 - 3.5 cm diam. Embryo placed below middle line of seed. Eophyll bifid. (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Materials Examined

  • PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Milne Bay: end of logging road, 10°22'S 150°7'E, 2 March 2000, Barfod et al. 456 (AAU, BRI, CANB, K! holotype, LAE). (A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190)A

Bibliography

    A. A.P. Keim & Dransfield, J. 2012: A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae). – Kew Bulletin 67: 127-190