A comprehensive study of New Guinean palms.

From exquisite palmlets to graceful canopy giants, palms dominate the rainforests of New Guinea, one of the last tropical wilderness areas on the planet. New Guinea is the world’s largest tropical island and a globally significant biodiversity hotspot. Its extraordinary flora and remarkable 250 species of palm are vital for the people of New Guinea, who depend on them for their survival.

Palms of New Guinea is the first comprehensive account of these immensely important plants, covering their taxonomy, identification, distribution, habitat, conservation status, and much more. Alongside over 650 photographs and 250 detailed maps, botanical artist Lucy T. Smith has illustrated all species featured in Palms of New Guinea. Written by nine scientific experts, this is an essential companion for anyone studying or working in the region.
 

William J. Baker is a senior research leader at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He coauthored the second edition of Genera Palmarum, also published by Kew, and coedits PALMS, the journal of the International Palm Society. Anders S. Barfod is associate professor of tropical plant resources at the University of Aarhus. Rodrigo Camara-Leret is assistant professor of botany at the University of Zurich. John L. Dowe is adjunct senior research fellow at the Australian Tropical Herbarium, James Cook University in Cairns. John Dransfield is an honorary research fellow at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where, until his retirement in 2005, he was head of palm research. He is coauthor of the two editions of Genera Palmarum and coedits PALMS, the journal of the International Palm Society. Charlie D. Heatubun is professor of forest botany at the University of Papua, Manokwari, and head of the Regional Research and Innovation Agency of West Papua Province, Indonesia, which he has chaired since 2017. Peter Petoe is an ecologist and conservation officer at the local government authority of Kalundborg, Denmark. Jessica H. Turner is a recent biology graduate from the University of Bath. She completed a nine-month internship at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 2021, where she assisted on the Palms of New Guinea project, especially in the compilation and completion of conservation assessments. Scott Zona is a research technician in horticultural science at North Carolina State University and a research collaborator with the herbarium of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is coauthor of The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms and author of A Gardener’s Guide to Botany. He also coedits PALMS, the journal of the International Palm Society.

FOREWORD
by Dominggus Mandacan (for Indonesia) vii
FOREWORD
by Kipiro Damas (for Papua New Guinea) viii
PREFACE ix
ABOUT THE AUTHORS xi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xiii
ABOUT THIS BOOK xvi
1. INTRODUCTION TO NEW GUINEA AND ITS FLORA 1
2. NEW GUINEA PALMS IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT 5
3. EXPLORING THE NEW GUINEA PALM FLORA 13
4. DESCRIPTION AND DOCUMENTATION OF THE PALMS OF NEW GUINEA 19
5. DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY OF PALMS IN NEW GUINEA 27
6. ETHNOBOTANY OF PALMS IN NEW GUINEA 41
7. EXTINCTION RISK AND NEW GUINEA PALMS 49
TAXONOMIC ACCOUNT 56
Subfamily Calamoideae
Korthalsia 62
Metroxylon 9
Pigafetta 74
Calamus 80
Subfamily Nypoideae
Nypa 224
Subfamily Coryphoideae
Livistona 228
Licuala 234
Saribus 288
Caryota 310
Arenga 318
Corypha 324
Borassus 328
Subfamily Arecoideae
Orania 334
Cocos 382
Sommieria 386
Actinorhytis 390
Areca 394
Pinanga 410
Physokentia 414
Calyptrocalyx 416
Linospadix 474
Ptychosperma 478
Ponapea 522
Drymophloeus 526
Brassiophoenix 534
Ptychococcus 540
Manjekia 548
Wallaceodoxa 552
Clinostigma 556
Cyrtostachys 560
Dransfieldia 576
Heterospathe 580
Hydriastele 612
Rhopaloblaste 670
APPENDIX 1 – Checklist of the palms of the New Guinea region 679
APPENDIX 2 – Checklists of the palms of subdivisions of the New Guinea region 687
APPENDIX 3 – Useful palm species in New Guinea 694
BIBLIOGRAPHY 701
INDEX 717