Temu Bosuang (Boesenbergia bosuangii), Temu Gana-gana (Boesenbergia ganaensis) and Temu Gokusing (Boesenbergia gokusingii)

NEWS - Researchers from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, the Forest Research Institute Malaysia in Kepong and the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh have identified three new species, Temu Bosuang (Boesenbergia bosuangii), Temu Gana-gana (Boesenbergia ganaensis) and Temu Gokusing (Boesenbergia gokusingii).

B. bosuangii is similar to B. stenophylla R.M.Sm. in its narrow-oval lamina but differs in the shape of its bract and calyx. The species is endemic to Borneo, Sabah. The specific epithet is given by Dr Steven Bosuang, owner of Kipandi Park, an entomologist who works on insect and plant conservation in Sabah.

The new species grows in riverine areas in mixed dipterocarp forests at elevations of 50-300 metres and flowers in August. The researchers have proposed the status Vulnerable VU D1 due to its small population, limited space outside protected areas and potential threats from development, landslides and flooding.

B. ganaensis is closely related to B. burttiana R.M.Sm. but differs in the absence of ligule, longer petiole, blunt leaf base, pointed leaf tip, bilobed calyx and anthers peeled off by pores. This species is endemic to Kalimantan, Sabah.

The specific epithet refers to the location where the species was collected in Kampung Gana-gana, Ranau. This plant grows in granite areas at an elevation of 500-600 meters. The researchers proposed the conservation status Vulnerable (VU D2) because there are only four populations at the type site.

B. gokusingii is similar to B. variegata R.M.Sm., in that it has single-leafed shoots but differs in having unequal oblong laminae, heart-shaped leaf base, pointed leaf tip and anthers peeled off by pores. This species is endemic to Kalimantan, Sabah.

The specific epithet is based on Mr. Linus Gokusing from Kipandi Park who collected this plant in 2011. His passion for plants has provided useful information to the public. This species is in mixed dipterocarp forest at an elevation of 500-600 meters. Vulnerable status (VU D2) because it is only in the type location with 3-6 populations in each location.

Original research

Lam NF, Ibrahim H, Sam YY, Mohammad Zakaria R, Poulsen AD (2024) Three new species of Boesenbergia (Zingiberaceae) from Sabah, Malaysia. PhytoKeys 247: 39-53, DOI:10.3897/phytokeys.247.107961

Dlium theDlium

Black jumping spider (Hyllus diardi)

Black jumping spider ( Hyllus diardi ) is an animal species in the Salticidae, black and white spiders, long hair, round head, elongated belly, relatively small, arboreal, perched on leaves in bushes and low trees in forests and agricultural lands. H. diardi has black and white color, shiny surface and white hair all over the body. The head is round, shiny black with a linear white line in the middle. Black eyes on the front of the head. The stomach has an elongated, jointed, black cylindrical shape with black plots at the top of each segment. The legs are long, segmented, shiny black or brownish in color and hairy. Black jumping spiders live arboreal, perch on leaf surfaces, low bushes, trees in forests, agricultural land, roadsides and shade. Very sensitive to human presence and will hide behind leaves to avoid sight. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Chelicerata Class: Arachnida Order: Araneae Suborder: Araneomorphae Infraorder: Entelegynae Superfamily: Salticoi...

Java milkwort (Polygala javana)

Java milkwort ( Polygala javana ) is a species of plant in the Polygalaceae family. It has erect, woody, branched stems with brown to black stems and white hairs or powdery hairs. The leaves are opposite and alternate. The leaves are oval, up to 30 mm long and up to 9 mm wide, and green. The inflorescences are arranged in panicles, arranged in rows and radially. The flowers are butterfly-shaped, yellow, green, and purple, with white hairs, up to 8 mm wide. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fabales Family: Polygalaceae Tribe: Polygaleae Genus: Polygala Tourn. ex L. in Sp. Pl.: 701 (1753) Species: Polygala javana DC. in Prodr. 1: 327 (1824) HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS Polygala ceylanica B.Heyne ex Wall. in Numer. List: n.° 4183 (1831) Polygala javana var. angustifolia Thwaites in Enum. Pl. Zeyl.: 22 (1864) Polygala raoi R.N.Banerjee & L.K.Banerjee in Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., B 82: 218 (1975) PUBLICATIONS Aung, Y.L., Aung, M.H....

Cat's whiskers (Orthosiphon aristatus)

Remujung atau kumis kucing atau cat's whiskers ( Orthosiphon aristatus ) is a species of plant in the Lamiaceae, an erect herb, the lower part is rooted at the joints, 2 meters high, the stem has four corners and is somewhat grooved with short hair or bald, has joints where branches grow to the left and right and is dark purple. O. aristatus has round or oval, lanceolate, round-ovate or rhombic leaves starting from the base, 1-10 cm long, 1-5 cm wide, 4-29 cm long stalks and a main vein in the middle, leaf stalk length 7-29 cm. Glandular flower petals, veins and bases are short and sparsely hairy, while the uppermost part is bald. The terminal crown is a bunch that comes out of the end of the branch with a length of 7-29 cm. Length 13-27mm, covered with short purple hairs on the top and then turning white, tube length 10-18 mm, lip length 4.5-10mm, blunt flower strands, round. Stamens are longer than flower tubes and exceed the upper lip of the flower. Dark brown fruit, 1.75-...

Dlium