A review of the Australian species of Pandanus, sectio Semikeura (Pandanaceae)

Abstract

The closely related and at least partly synonymous species Pandanus aquaticus, P. delestangii, P. kimberleyanus, P. spechtii, and P. oblanceoloideus are grouped together in a newly established section of Pandanus subgenus. Pandanus, named sectio Semikeura. P. delestangii is selected as type species. The species P. basedowii is considered sufficiently closely related to be included in the section, but distinct enough to be accommodated in a new monotypic subsection called subsectio Elaphrocarpus. Morphological and leaf-anatomical criteria are relied upon for taking these steps; all species mentioned had formerly been assigned to sectio Microstigma, from which sectio Semikeura is shown to differ in several fundamental ways. A discussion of the nomenclatural status of P. aquaticus is also given.