Mapania sapuaniana (Cyperaceae), a new
sedge species from Sarawak
Article
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Shabdin, Z., Culham, A., Simpson, D. A. and Meekiong, K.
(2013) Mapania sapuaniana (Cyperaceae), a new sedge
species from Sarawak. Blumea, 58 (1). pp. 45-48. ISSN 00065196 doi: 10.3767/000651913X671281 Available at
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Blumea 58, 2013: 45 –48
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
http://dx.doi.org/10.3767/000651913X671281
Mapania sapuaniana (Cyperaceae), a new sedge species
from Sarawak
Z.Shabdin1,3,A.Culham1,D.A.Simpson2,K.Meekiong3
Key words
Borneo
Cyperaceae
Mapania
Sarawak
taxonomy
Abstract Mapania sapuaniana,aspectacularnewsedgespeciesfromLanjakEntimau,Sarawak,isdescribedand
illustrated.ItiscloselyrelatedtoM. richardsii and M. borneensis but differs in having broad leaves with a distinct
pseudopetiole, reddish purple or maroon coloration on the underside of the leaf and petiole and an inflorescence
composedofseveralspikes.
Published on26July2013
INTRODUCTION
MapaniaAubl. is a pantropical genus previously thought to
comprise 84 species (Govaerts et al. 2007). Borneo and
Peninsular Malaysia are considered to be centres of diversity
forthegenuswith25and16speciesrecorded,respectively
(Simpson 1992). The genus is poorly known and includes
manynarrowlyendemicspecies.Thereislittleinformationon
pollination biology and chromosome numbers and record of
the morphological variation within the genus is rather limited
(Meekiongetal.2009).About50%ofthespeciesrecorded
forBorneoareendemic(Simpson1992).However,thereisstill
muchtobelearnaboutthisgenus,particularlyfromBorneo.The
number of species may increase as more remote areas become
accessibleinSabahandSarawak(Shabdinetal.Inpress).
Mapania species are problematic to identify, due to the lack
of good discontinuous morphological characters.Asian species, especially, show a wide range of morphological variation,
where the appearance of the whole inflorescence changes as
it matures, although individual structures remain constant in
shapeandsize(Simpson1992).Floweringandfruitingmaterial
isoftenessentialforidentificationandrequiresdissectionto
enablethetaxonomicallyimportantstructurestobeseen.Regardless of the morphological problems that occur in Mapania,
their highly reduced inflorescence structure has led to differing
interpretationsanduncertainhomologies(Muasyaetal.1998).
Interpretationofthebasicreproductiveunitisdifficultforallthe
genera within the tribe Hypolytreae, including Mapania.Various
interpretationshavebeengiven(Simpson1992,Bruhl1995,
Goetghebeur1998)andwefollowthatofSimpson(1992),i.e.
a basic inflorescence unit with a highly contracted axis giving
rise to a pseudanthium, with the axis supporting several floral
bracts(4–7inMapania)ofwhichsomeorallhavemaleflowers, the whole unit being surmounted by a bractless, apparently
terminalfemaleflower(Fig.1).
CentreforPlantDiversityandSystematics,SchoolofBiologicalSciences,
UniversityofReading,ReadingRG66AS,UK.
2
RoyalBotanicGardens,Kew,Richmond,Surrey,TW93AB,UK;
correspondingauthore-mail:[email protected].
3
Department of Plant Science and Environmental Ecology, Faculty of
ResourceScienceTechnology,UniversitiMalaysiaSarawak,94300Kota
Samarahan,Sarawak,Malaysia.
1
LanjakEntimauProtectedForest(LEPF)wasconstitutedas
aWildlifeSanctuaryin1983(Soepadmo&Chai2000).The
sanctuary comprises an area of 187000 hectares that is
adjacenttotheborderwithIndonesia,andsituatedwithinSri
Aman,Sibu,SarikeiandKapitdivisions.Basedonspecimens
fromseveralherbaria(SAR,SINGandK),onlyfivespecies
b
a
c
d
Fig. 1Generalised structure of the spicoid in Mapania. a. Spicoid with
lowesttwofloralbractsunseparated;b. spicoid with lowest two floral bracts
separated;c,d.schematicdiagramstointerpretthestructureofaspicoid
withsixandfourfloralbracts,respectively(axisexaggerated).sb=spicoid
bract;f=floralbract;s=staminateflowers(stamens);g=pistillateflower
(gynoecium).FromSimpson(1992:12).
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46
Blumea–Volume58/1,2013
1 mm
d
1 mm
i
b
5 mm
1 mm
f
10 mm
1 mm
a
h
5 cm
1 mm
e
g
c
Fig. 2 Mapania sapuanianaShabdin. a.Habit;b.detailofsheathmargin;c.leaf;d.detailofleafmargin;e.inflorescence;f.spike;g.unopenedspicoid;h.open
spicoid;i.floralbractandstamen(all:Kalu et al. MK1801,RNG).—DrawnbyMargaretTebbs.
(M. cuspidata (Miq.)Uittien, M. latifolia Uittien, M. meditensis
D.A.Simpson, M. monostachya Uittien and M. palustris(Hassk.
exSteud.)Fern.-Vill.)wereknownfromthisarea.However,a
recentexpeditionbyMeekiongetal.(2009)foundseveralspecies previously unreported from this area, including M. enodis
(Miq.) C.B.Clarke, M. longiflora C.B.Clarke, M. obscuriflora
D.A.Simpson, M. richardsii Uittien and M. sumatrana (Miq.)
Benth., aswellasthefivepreviouslyreported. Inadditionmaterial was found that did not match any currently recognised
speciesbasedonmorphology.Thisisrecognisedhereasanew
speciesonthebasisofauniquecombinationofmorphological
features: broad leaves with a distinct pseudopetiole and an
inflorescence composed of several spikes, and reddish purple
ormarooncolorationonthelowerleafsurfaceandpetiole.We
47
Z.Shabdinetal.:Mapania sapuanianafromSarawak
a
c
therefore describe this species based on the morphological /
taxonomicspeciesconcept(Cronquist1978).
TAXONOMY
Mapania sapuanianaShabdin,sp. nov.—Fig.2,3
Similar to M. richardsii except leaf-blade oblong, 7–10.5 cm wide, with a
distinctpseudopetiolebetweenleaf-bladeandsheath.AlsosimilartoM. borneensisMerr.butleaf-blade7–10.5cmwideandinflorescencewithmore
than1spike.—Typus:Meekiong Kalu et al. MK1801(holoSAR;isoHUMS,
K,RNG),Borneo,Malaysia,Sarawak,KapitDivision,LanjakEntimauWildlife
Sanctuary,SungaiJoh,c.140malt.,27Mar.2009.
Etymology. The specific epithet honours Haji Sapuan, Senior Deputy
DirectoroftheSarawakForestryDepartmentforhisexcellentendeavourin
leadingthe2008LanjakEntimauScientificExpedition.
b
Fig. 3 Mapania sapuanianaShabdin.a.Plantinhabitat;b.baseofplant
showinginflorescences;c.closeupinflorescence.—PhotosbyK.Meekiong.
Moderately robust to robust, shortly rhizomatous perennial;
rhizome2–3cmlong.Cataphyllselliptictolanceolate,5.5–13
by 3–5 mm. Culms several, erect, lateral, 5–15 by 0.2 cm,
glabrous,maroonordarkpurplishred.Leaves basal, up to 55
cmlong;leaf-bladeoblong,13–38by7–10.5cm,apexabruptly
narrowed and auriculate with narrow tip of 2–3 cm long, base
gradually narrowed into a short pseudopetiole which widens
again into the sheath, coriaceous to subcoriaceous, papery
when dried, upper surface yellowish green and shiny, lower
surfacereddishpurplewithmaroonnerves(inlivingmaterial),
3-nerved, secondary nerves distinct, flat in cross-section, marginsentiretoscabridnearapex;pseudopetiole10–16by1.5–3
cm;sheathoblong-lanceolate,4.5–8by0.6–1.6cm,apexvery
gradually narrowed, coriaceous, reddish green to maroon with
minuteblackishstripes.Involucral bracts several, glumaceous,
Blumea–Volume58/1,2013
48
ovate-lanceolate,8–10by5–7mm,apexacuteornearlyblunt,
basal bract shorter, acute, maroon or purplish red, coriaceous,
glabrous, nerves distinct. Inflorescences terminal on lateral
culms from rhizomes or axil of basal-most leaves, 2–3, composedof3–5distinctspikes;spikeelliptic,8–11by5–8mm,
apexobtuse,maroontopurplishred;spicoidbractsovate,3–7
by2–3.5mm,obtuse,coriaceoustosubcoriaceous,maroonor
purplishred,glabrous,midribgreen;floralbracts6,free,lowest
2bractsovateorlinear-oblong,5.5–6by0.5–1mm,acute,
maroon or purplish red, keeled, wingless, hispid, upper bracts
linear-lanceolate, 5 – 6 mm long, flat to ± keeled, glabrous;
staminateflowers3perspicoid,antherslinear,whitish,2–2.5
mmlong;stigmabranches3;style4mmlong.Fruitnotknown.
Distribution—Borneo,Sarawak,KapitDivision.
Habitat—Lowlandmixeddipterocarpforestalongstreamsides, on wet slopes and on rocky slopes in pockets with thick
leaflitter,thrivingindeepshade;140m.
Conservationstatus—CurrentlythisspeciesisonlyrecordedbytheJohRiver,LanjakEntimauWildlifeSanctuary(LEWS),
Sarawakandisprobablyendemictothearea,sinceithasnot
beenfoundbeforeonseveralfieldtripsthatwehaveconducted
inotherplacesinSarawakandPeninsularMalaysia.Thespecies occurs in a 1 km2area,withfewerthan100individuals.
Growinglocalisedtothisparticulararea,wethereforebelieveit
tobeVulnerable(VUD2)followingtheIUCN(2001)Categories
andCriteria.
Note—Mapania richardsii and M. borneensis are the taxa
closest to M. sapuaniana, differing primarily in leaf size, absence/presence of pseudopetiole and number of spikes per
inflorescence.
Thethreespeciesmaybeseparatedusingthefollowingkey:
1. Leaveswithoutadistinctpseudopetiole,theleaf-bladegradually narrowed into a sheath . . . . . . . . . . . . M. richardsii
1. Leaveswithadistinctpseudopetiolebetweenleaf-bladeand
sheath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Inflorescencewithonly1spike;leaf-blade1.8–3.6cmwide
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M. borneensis
2. Inflorescencewithmorethan1spike;leaf-blade7–10.5cm
wide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M. sapuaniana
AcknowledgementsWewouldliketothanktheSarawakForestDepartmentandtheAcademyScienceMalaysiawhohavesuccessfullyorganised
the Lanjak Entimau Scientific Expedition, forestry staff and local guides.
AppreciationalsogoestoUNIMASstaff,Prof.dr.IsaIpor,Prof.dr.Cheksum
Tawan,HidirMarzuki,SekudanTedongandSalimAripfortheirsupport.
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