Tag Archives: Malaysia

Cinnamomum trintaense Kosterm.

Trinta Cinnamon (Cinnamomum trintaense)

This species is, or was, restricted to the state of Perak in Peninsular Malaysia, where it was found growing in dense limestone forests at rather low altitudes; it is known only from material that was collected in 1883 and, having never been recorded subsequently, might now well be extinct. [1]

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The photo below shows an congeneric species, the Javan Cinnamon (Cinnamomum javanicum Blume), which has a wide distribution that includes parts of Indonesia but also Peninsular Malaysia.

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Javan Cinnamon (Cinnamomum javanicum)

Photo: plantboyofsingapore
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/plantboyofsingapore
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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References:

[1] R. P. J. de Kok: A revision of Cinnamomum Schaeff. (Lauraceae) for Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore 71(1): 89-139. 2019

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edited: 25.02.2024

Plectostoma tenggekensis Liew, Vermeulen, Marzuki & Schilthuizen

Tenggek Karst Snail (Plectostoma tenggekensis)

The Tenggek Karst Snail was described in 2014; it is only known from the type locality: Bukit Tenggek in Pahang, central Peninsular Malaysia.

The shells reach sizes of 0.16 to 0.17 cm in height; the apical spire is depressed, the basal spire is conical and the whorl periphery is moderately convex, the umbilicus is open.

The only known locality where this species was known to occur, is now completely destroyed by limestone quarrying.

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Photo from: ‘Thor-Seng Liew; Jaap Jan Vermeulen; Mohammad Effendi bin Marzuki; Menno Schilthuizen: A cybertaxonomic revision of the micro-landsnail genus Plectostoma Adam (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda, Diplommatinidae), from Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Indochina. ZooKeys 393: 1-107. 2014’

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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References:

[1] Thor-Seng Liew; Jaap Jan Vermeulen; Mohammad Effendi bin Marzuki; Menno Schilthuizen: A cybertaxonomic revision of the micro-landsnail genus Plectostoma Adam (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda, Diplommatinidae), from Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Indochina. ZooKeys 393: 1-107. 2014

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edited: 01.03.2024

Alseodaphne micrantha Kostermans

Small Alseodaphne (Alseodaphne micrantha)

This species is known from specimens that were collected during the first half of the 20th century at a single locality along a road in the state of Johor, Malaysia.

The species has not been found since and might well be extinct now.

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The photo below shows another unspecified species of the same genus.

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unspecified Alseodaphne species (Alseodaphne sp.)

Photo: ytt
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/ytt
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ 

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edited: 14.01.2024

Lepidocephalus pahangensis (de Beaufort)

Pahang Spirit Loach (Lepidocephalus pahangensis)

The Pahang Spirit Loach was described in 1933; it is only known from a small part of the Pahang River on the Malaysian Peninsula.

The species reaches, or reached, a length of only about 3.58 cm; it has eyes and a dark-pigmented, pinkish grey-brown body and can be distinguished from its congeners by the absence of scales on top of the head. [1]

The species’ habitat was subject to extensive habitat degradation; the Pahang Spirit Loach has never been found since 1933 despite extensive surveys, it is very likely extinct now.

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syn. Acanthophthalmus pahangensis de Beaufort

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References:

[1] Gridsana Deein; Weerapongse Tangjitjaroen; Lawrence M. Page: A revision of the spirit loaches, genus Lepidocephalus (Cypriniformes, Cobitidae). Zootaxa 3779(3): 341-352. 2014

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edited: 24.02.2024

Oreogrammitis kunstleri Parris

Kunstler’s Grammitis Fern (Oreogrammitis kunstleri)

This species is known only from Peninsular Malaysia, where it is now apparently extinct. [1]

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The photo below shows a congeneric species, the Many-leaved Grammitis Fern (Oreogrammitis multifoliaCopel.), which is also found in Peninsular Malaysia.

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Many-leaved Grammitis Fern (Oreogrammitis multifolia)

Photo: Barbara Parris
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/barbaraparris
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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References: 

[1] Atsushi Ebihara; Christopher Roy Fraser-Jenkins; Barbara S. Parris; Xian-Chun Zhang; Yue-Hong Yang; Wen-Liang Chiou; Ho-Ming Chang; Stuart Lindsay; David Middleton; Masahiro Kato; Titien Ngatinem Praptosuwiryo; Victor B. Amoroso; Julie F. Barcelona; Rajapaksha Haddokara Gedara Ranil; Chan-Ho Park; Noriaki Murakami; Akihiko Hoya: Rare and Threatened Pteridophytes of Asia 1. An Enumeration of Narrowly Distributed Taxa1. Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science, Ser. B 38(3): 93–119. 2012

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edited: 01.03.2024

Saurauia minutiflora K. M. Wong

Small-flowered Saurauia (Saurauia minutiflora)

This species was described in 2017; it is a small, only about 3 m tall treelet that is known only from the type locality at the Sungai Berangan River in the Malaysian part of Borneo.

The only known locality has been affected by the development of the hydroelectric dam which led to the degradation of the forest.

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The photo below shows an unspecified congeneric species that was photographed on the island of Borneo, Indonesia.

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unspecified Saurauia species (Saurauia sp.)

photo: Shawn O’Donnell
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/shawnodonnell
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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edited: 20.02.2024

Aglaia densitricha Pannell

Densely-haired Aglaia (Aglaia densitricha)

This species was described in 1992, it is known only from the type material which had been collected in 1953 along a road in the state of Terengganu, Malaysia.

The species was not found since and is thought to might be extinct. [1]

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References:

[1] D. J. Mabberley; C. M. Pannell; A. M. Sing: Meliaceae. Flora Malesiana; Series 1 – Spermatophyta 12: 1-388. 1995

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edited: 04.09.2019

Plectostoma charasense (Tomlin)

Charas Karst Snail (Plectostoma charasense)

This species was described in 1948; it was known from only two localities: Bukit Panching and Gua Charas, two neighboring limestone hills near Sungai Lembing in Pahang, central Peninsular Malaysia.

The shells reach sizes of only about 0.19 to 0.2 cm in height; the apical spire is oblong conical, the basal spire is conical and the whorl periphery is distinctly convex, the umbilicus is open.

Bukit Panching has been destroyed by limestone quarrying and Gua Charas is now surrounded by oil palm plantations, leaving only traces of the former forest cover; the species has not been found during exhaustive searches in 2010 and 2011 and is very likely extinct.

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Many congeneric species are strictly restricted to single localities and very likely many of them are now likewise extinct due to the complete destruction of their habitats.

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Photo from: ‘Thor-Seng Liew; Jaap Jan Vermeulen; Mohammad Effendi bin Marzuki; Menno Schilthuizen: A cybertaxonomic revision of the micro-landsnail genus Plectostoma Adam (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda, Diplommatinidae), from Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Indochina. ZooKeys 393: 1-107. 2014’

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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References:

[1] Thor-Seng Liew; Jaap Jan Vermeulen; Mohammad Effendi bin Marzuki; Menno Schilthuizen: A cybertaxonomic revision of the micro-landsnail genus Plectostoma Adam (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda, Diplommatinidae), from Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Indochina. ZooKeys 393: 1-107. 2014

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edited: 01.03.2024

Begonia eiromischa Ridl.

Wooly-stalked Begonia (Begonia eiromischa)

The Wooly-stalked Begonia, described in 1917, was restricted to the small island Pulau Betong, Malaysia, it is known only from two collections made in 1886 and 1898.

The habitat is now completely destroyed and this species is definetly extinct.

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Depiction from: ‘Henry Nicholas Ridley: The flora of the Malay Peninsula. London, L. Reeve & Co. ltd. 1922-25’

(not in copyright)

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edited: 04.09.2019

Opisthostoma decrespignyi H. Adams

De Crespigny’s Karst Snail (Opisthostoma decrespignyi)  

This minute species, whose shell hardly reaches 0,2 cm, was described in the year 1865.  

De Crespigny’s Karst Snail inhabited small islets like Pulau Burung, Pulau Daat, and Pulau Papan offshore the island state of Labuan, which again lies offshore Borneo’s northwest coast, where it was strictly restricted to limestone rocks.  

The limestone (of all these islands ?) was removed in the 1960s by quarrying, and thus the habitat of this snail species was destroyed. [1]  

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De Crespigny’s Karst Snail is now considered possibly extinct – however, there have been no recent surveys to confirm this assumption.  

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References:  
[1] Reuben Clements; Navjot S. Sodhi; Menno Schilthuizen; Peter K. L. Ng: Limestone Karsts of Southeast Asia: Imperiled Arks of Biodiversity. BioScience 56(9): 733-742. 2006 

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Depiction from: ‘Henry Adams: Descriptions of Six New Species of Shells, and Note on Opisthostoma de-Crespignii. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 445-451. 1866’

(public domain)

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edited: 04.11.2020