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| Bromheadia petuangensis R.Go et E.E. Besi
in Besi, Nikong, Mustafa & Go, 2020.
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Abstract
A new species, Bromheadia petuangensis R.Go et E.E. Besi belonging to Sect. Aporodes is described from hill dipterocarp forest in Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. This species was rescued from an active logging site in Hulu Terengganu. A field taxonomic key to some species of Bromheadia from the Sect. Aporodes in Peninsular Malaysia is provided, together with description, including information on colours, distribution, habitat, ecology, and illustration of the newly discovered species.
Key words: Orchidaceae, Bromheadia petuangensis, Hill dipterocarp forest, Malaysia, Field key.
Bromheadia petuangensis R.Go et E.E. Besi sp. nov.
Diagnostic Characters. This species shares similarities with Bromheadia humilis Kruiz. & de Vogel, an endemic species to Sabah, by having the tufted habit and short height (only up to 10 cm tall), stems entirely covered by leaf sheaths, basal part terete, top part laterally compressed; and the leaves stiff, curved away from the stem. It differs from the latter by having the leaves 2-3 on one side of the stem; leaves less coriaceous, fewer, narrower, and thinner; and smaller size of the flowers, flower purely white with lip almost glabrous and the side lobes with free narrowly acute forwards pointing tips. A detailed comparison is shown in Table 1. Also, this new species and B. humilis are different from the commonly found Bromheadia species in Malaysia, B. scirpoidea, because of its small size and shorter sterile bracts at the base of the inflorescence.
Etymology. The new species is named after the type locality, a logging site in Petuang, Hulu Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia.
Distribution and Ecology. It was first collected from a logged hill dipterocarp forest (251 m a.s.l.) in Petuang, Terengganu and threatened by habitat loss due to the ongoing forest destruction in the region. The microclimate temperature is extreme within 31°C to 34°C with humidity is at 67%. It has been also recorded growing on trees in a lower montane forest (893 m a.s.l.) in Mount Sarut, Setiu, Terengganu.
Edward Entalai Besi, Dome Nikong, Muskhazli Mustafa and Rusea Go. 2020. A New Species of Bromheadia Sect. Aporodes (Orchidaceae) from Terengganu, peninsular Malaysia. Pak. J. Bot. 52(3). DOI: 10.30848/PJB2020-3(21)