Polyalthia sinclairiana I. M. Turner 2007

Polyalthia sinclairiana I.M.Turner

Polyalthia macropoda King (1892: 60), non P. macropoda (Miq.) Mueller (1877: 95)

Type: MALAYSIA. Peninsular Malaysia, Perak: June 1883, King’s Collector 4279 (lectotype, designated by Turner (2007), K!, duplicates BM!, L!).

Cleistopetalum borneense Okada (1996: 4, Fig. 3), synon. nov., non Polyalthia borneensis Merrill (1929: 65)

Type: INDONESIA. Borneo, East Kalimantan: Sungai Menubar, 12 December 1980, Kato & Wiriadinata 7119 (holotype KYO, isotypes BO, L).

Additional specimens examined:

INDONESIA. Borneo, East Kalimantan: Sangkulirang subdivision, Sg Susuk region, 1 July 1951, A . Kostermans 5581 (K!, SING!); Sangkulirang District, Mt. Medadem, N. of Sangkulirang, 9 August 1957, A . Kostermans 13413 (K!, SING!); PT. Inhutani I Berau area, along stream near camp 35, 17 May 1998, K . Sidiyasa et al. Berau 1260 (A!, K!). MALAYSIA. Peninsular Malaysia, Penang: Richwood Pool, December 1910, Haniff 15550 (K [x2]!). Perak: open jungle, August 1886, King’s Collector 10756 (K!); Sungei Siput, 12 December 1920, Md. Haniff & Nor 6957 (K!). Selangor: Ulu Gombak F. R., 7 January 1962, J. Wyatt-Smith KEP 94396 (K [x2]!); Ulu Gombak V. J. R., 22 February 1967, F. S. P. Ng FRI 1959 (K!); Bukit Lagong F. R., 7 June 1955, Motan Kepong F. N. 80650 (K!). Negri Sembilan: Jelebu Forest Reserve, 2 July 1969, T. Suppiah FRI 11277 (K!); Jelebu Forest Reserve, 3 July 1969, T. Suppiah FRI 11293 (K!). Johore: Gunong Panti, 12 February 1933, E. J. H. Corner SFN 26168 (K!); Sungai Kayu, 14 October 1936, Kiah SFN 32067 (K [x2]!).

SINGAPORE. Selitar, November 1889, H. N. Ridley 429 (K!); Bukit Timah Reserve, 30 September 1938, M. R. Henderson SFN 35906 (K [x2]!).

Cleistopetalum sumatranum can also be synonymised to an already described species. It is readily identifiable as Polyalthia clavigera King (1892: 60), a cauliflorous species rather similar to P. sinclairiana. Sinclair (1955) outlines the difference between the two species. Polyalthia clavigera is known from the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. However there is a twist in the tale. Beccari (1871: 188) described Polyalthia anomala from Sarawak in Borneo and I suspect that no specimen other than the type has been identified as belonging to this species. The mystery surrounding the species stems largely from the absence of duplicates of the type in major herbaria with the holotype in Florence. The staff of the Florence Herbarium kindly provided photographs of the type. I have come to the conclusion that Beccari’s species is the same as Polyalthia clavigera. Beccari’s type consists of a leafy twig and some small flowers in a packet that were illustrated in the original publication. Beccari described the large golden fruits to 10 cm long, but did not make a specimen of them. Polyalthia clavigera is easily recognised by its large club-shaped monocarps that dry black and wrinkled. It is less often collected in flower than fruit. The flowers of the Beccari type are a good match for immature flowers of P. clavigera particularly so to the type of P. glomerata King (1892: 61), a synonym of P. clavigera. Polyalthia clavigera has been recorded from Gunung Matang in Sarawak (e.g. S 12638, S 20893, details below), the type locality of P. anomala. As P. anomala was published more than 20 years before P. clavigera it has priority over the latter and Beccari’s name must be used for the species.