Vol. 80 No. 1 (2025)
Articles

Alpinia arachniformis (Zingiberaceae): a new species from New Ireland, Papua New Guinea

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  • Rudolph Valentino A. Docot,
  • Thomas Haevermans,
  • Bernard Sule,
  • Axel Dalberg Poulsen
Rudolph Valentino A. Docot
Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Art and Sciences, Far Eastern University, Nicanor Reyes Sr. Street, Sampaloc 1015, Manila, Philippines
Thomas Haevermans
Institut de Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), CNRS, EPHE, UA, SU, 45 Rue Buffon, CP 50, 75005, Paris, France
Bernard Sule
Forest Research Institute, Lae, Papua New Guinea
Axel Dalberg Poulsen
Royal Botanic Garden, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, Scotland, UK
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/jopt-17291

Published 2025-04-17

Keywords

  • Alpinia oceanica,
  • Alpinia vittata,
  • Bismarck Archipelago,
  • ITS,
  • Zingiberaceae

How to Cite

Docot, R. V. A., Haevermans, T., Sule, B., & Poulsen, A. D. (2025). Alpinia arachniformis (Zingiberaceae): a new species from New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. Webbia, 80(1), 51–65. https://doi.org/10.36253/jopt-17291

Copyright (c) 2025 Rudolph Valentino A. Docot, Thomas Haevermans, Bernard Sule, Axel Dalberg Poulsen

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

During explorations of the ginger flora of the Bismarck Archipelago in 2013 and 2023, we made collections of the ginger genus Alpinia sensu lato, some of which had unusually elongated cincinni composed of distichously arranged bracteoles and in the present paper we conclude that these collections document a distinct species new to science, Alpinia arachniformis A.D.Poulsen. The choice of epithet refers to the spider-like appearance of the inflorescence. Similar morphology of the cincinni is found in other lineages of Alpinia, but our molecular analysis using the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) marker established a close relationship with A. oceanica from which the new species differs by having cincinni with more flowers and linear labellum. An ink drawing and colour plates, information on distribution and habitat, and provisional conservation status are provided for the new species as well as a key to species of Alpinia in the Bismarck Archipelago.

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