Benstonea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Pandanaceae, native to the Paleotropics.[1][2]

Description

Plants in this genus are stemless or short-stemmed shrubs, epiphytes, or (rarely) trees. Leaves are long and strap like, and pleated along the length. Spines may be present along the margins and the pleats. The inflorescences are either terminal or carried on a short side branch. The fruit is a syncarp consisting of numerous simple drupes that never coalesce into phalanges as do those of Pandanus species.[3][4]

Plants in the genus are characterised by:[3][4]

  • Leaves having spines on the ventral pleats towards the tip of the leaf,
  • Monocarpellate drupes with the stigmatic grooves on the adaxial side of the stigma
  • Male flowers having one stamen, or free stamens in triads.

Taxonomy

Plants in this genus were formerly placed in Pandanus subgenus Acrostigma, which contained four sections, namely sect. Acrostigma, sect. Epiphytica, sect. Fusiforma and sect. Pseudoacrostigma, largely the work by the British-American botanist Benjamin Clemens Stone. In 2012 Martin W. Callmander and Sven Buerki published a paper which recognised the distinctive traits of the subgenus - based on morphology and DNA sequencing - and transferred most taxa from Pandanus sect. Acrostigma to their newly created genus Benstonea.[3] In the following year, after additional research, they transferred all other members of the subgenus to Benstonea.[4]

Etymology

The genus name Benstonea was chosen by Callamander in recognition of the decades of research work on this family which was undertaken by Stone through the middle and late 20th century.[3]

Distribution

Benstonea is distributed from India to Fiji with centres of diversity in Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia and New Guinea.

Species

As of 30 April 2024, Plants of the World Online recognises 61 species in this genus,[1] as follows:

Gallery

  • Benstonea atrocarpus
    Benstonea atrocarpus
  • Benstonea humilis
    Benstonea humilis
  • Benstonea lauterbachii
    Benstonea lauterbachii
  • Benstonea monticola
    Benstonea monticola
  • Flowers of B. monticola
    Flowers of B. monticola

References

  1. ^ a b c "Benstonea Callm. & Buerki". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Benstonea Callm. & Buerki". Tropicos. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Callmander, M.W.; Lowry, P.P.; Forest, F.; Devey, D.S.; Beentje, H.; Buerki, S. (2012). "Benstonea Callm. & Buerki (Pandanaceae): Characterization, Circumscription, and Distribution of a New Genus of Screw-Pines, with a Synopsis of Accepted Species". Candollea. 67 (2): 323–345. doi:10.15553/c2012v672a12. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Callmander, Martin W.; Booth, Thomas J.; Beentje, Henk; Buerki, Sven (2013). "Update on the systematics of Benstonea (Pandanaceae): When a visionary taxonomist foresees phylogenetic relationships". Phytotaxa. 112 (2): 57–60. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.112.2.4. Retrieved 30 April 2024.