A checklist of showy mistletoe (Santalales, Loranthaceae) of Lambir Hills National Park in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo

Abstract

Tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia are globally recognized as biodiversity hotspots. However, floristic inventories are limited, particularly for hemiparasites growing in forest canopies. This study presents a checklist of showy mistletoe (Loranthaceae) from the Lambir Hills National Park located in the Miri district, Sarawak, northern Borneo, Malaysia. The data were obtained from our intensive field surveys in the national park from 2016 to 2022, and analysis of the herbaria of The Sarawak Herbarium, The Kyoto University Museum, and the Botanical Research Centre in the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre in Sarawak, Malaysia. A total of 21 species belonging to 10 genera of Loranthaceae were enumerated, along with ecological information for each species. Of these, 15 species were identified at the species level and 6 were identified at the genus level. The occurrence of Macrosolen brunsing Y. W. Low & Ariffin, formerly known only from Brunei Darussalam, was confirmed and represents the first record of the flora in Malaysia. In addition, Lepidaria vaginata Tiegh., formerly known only from its type locality, Mt. Matang, was confirmed. We show that Lambir Hills National Park is the second locality for this species.