Rhaphidophora guamensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Genus: Rhaphidophora
Species:
R. guamensis
Binomial name
Rhaphidophora guamensis
P.C.Boyce (2001)
Synonyms

None

Rhaphidophora guamensis is a climbing plant in the family Araceae that is endemic to the island of Guam in the Mariana Islands.[1]

Description

Rhaphidophora guamensis is a moderately-robust, medium-sized liana. It features leptocauly (slender primary stem with many branches). It is heterophyllous, meaning that it produces two distinct kinds of leaves.[1]

Range and habitat

The species is only known to exist on the island of Guam, where it can be found in mixed forests, coconut plantations and on limestone.[1]

Taxonomy

Peter C. Boyce proposed 9 groups of the Rhaphidophora genus, grouping Rhaphidophora guamensis in the "Spathacea (Hollrungii) Group" with other species from Australia, New Guinea, and Micronesia (Rhaphidophora australasica, Rhaphidophora spathacea, Rhaphidophora versteegii and Rhaphidophora waria).[2] It is most similar to Rhaphidophora spathacea from New Guinea and the Caroline Islands but has several distinguishing features.[3]

History

The first herbarium specimen was collected from Mount Lamlam by Donald Anderson in 1949 for the Pacific Vegetation Project,[4][5] later by Benjamin Stone (1962)[6][7] and A. Rinehart (1987),[8] labeled only as "Rhaphidophora." It was eventually described in detail and named Rhaphidophora guamensis by the British botanist, Peter C. Boyce in 2001 in The Gardens' Bulletin (Singapore).[2]

See also

List of endemic plants in the Mariana Islands

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Rhaphidophora guamensis P.C.Boyce | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  2. 1 2 Boyce, Peter C. (2001). The Gardens' bulletin, Singapore. Vol. [ser.4]:v.53. Singapore: National Parks Board. pp. 75–78, 86, 112, 114–116.
  3. ↑ "Rhaphidophora guamensis P.C.Boyce". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  4. ↑ "US National Herbarium specimen 3290199 (collected 1949)". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  5. ↑ Fosberg, F. Ramond (1958). "Vascular Flora of Pagan Island, Northern Marianas". Pacific Science. 12: 17 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL).
  6. ↑ "Image zoom". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  7. ↑ "Image zoom". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  8. ↑ "Image zoom". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.