By Carl Lewis, September 11, 2008
We recently made a surprising discovery in the Fairchild / FIU DNA lab. We were studying the DNA of palms from throughout the world, and we happened to include three species from the islands of Micronesia. As we analyzed data from those species, we realized they were not what we expected. The three species were called Ptychosperma hosinoi, Ptychosperma ledermannianum, and Ptychosperma palauensis, but we found that they were distinct from the other species of Ptychosperma. They clearly belonged in a separate genus.
Historically, the three Micronesian species were all classified in Ponapea, a genus that was established in 1924 by the Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari. He established the genus based on his study of a botanical specimen that was later stored in the herbarium in Berlin. Unfortunately, the specimen was lost in 1943 during a World War II bombing that set fire to the herbarium (see the history of the Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, 1913-1943). The three Micronesian species were transferred to the larger, widespread genus Ptychosperma by the American botanists Harold E. Moore and F. R. Fosberg in 1956, and the name Ponapea dropped out of circulation.
Ponapea ledermanniana, Native to Pohnpei and Kosrae in the Caroline Islands. Cultivated at Fairchild.
Ptychosperma salomonense— This genus is widespread in Oceania and superficially resembles Ponapea.
In the palm world there have been other name changes based on DNA analysis, but the story of Ponapea is particularly exciting because very little is known about its species. There are living specimens in a few botanic gardens, including Fairchild and the Lyon Arboretum, but there has not been a recent survey of Ponapea palms in the wild. They live in some of the world’s most fragile habitats on the tiny Micronesian islands of Palau, Pohnpei, and Kosrae, where invasive plants and animals are threatening the native flora.
This expedition will allow us to revisit wild Ponapea palms for the first time in decades. It will be an opportunity to assess the health of the wild populations and determine which steps should be taken to ensure their survival. We will also collect much-needed botanical specimens for further study.
