Notes on Benstonea (Pandanaceae) from the islands of Halmahera, New Guinea and Sulawesi

Benstonea (Pandanaceae) was circumscribed to include 57 species formerly placed in the genus Pandanus. Field observations,accompanied by the study of available herbarium material have brought new insights for the delimitation of certainproblematic species, especially in the difficult group of species characterized by an axillary infructescence on a short pedunclecovered by prophylls and the abscission of the basal portion of the drupe at maturity. New combinations, based on namesin Pandanus previously treated as synonyms of Benstonea stenocarpa, are proposed for three distinct species of this groupfrom Halmahera (Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea. The identity of Benstonea celebica, endemic to Sulawesi (Indonesia),is also elucidated and an epitype is designated for this species. Phytotaxa, 2014, 175(3), 161-165