Species distribution of genus Salacca

Abstract

Salak is native plant from tropics that is grouped in genus Salacca. Species number of this genus based on valid name is 23 species. The spread of salak species in the world has never been published full in one paper. Several publication often informed only one species of salak but the others informed more. Therefore this paper aims to present the distribution salak species in the world. All of specimen salak were observed from Herbarium Bogoriense, Bogor; Herbarium Leiden, Netherlands; Herbarium Kewense, England. The specimens observed amounted to 515 sheets. Result showed the distribution of salak species is concentrated in three regions namely Borneo, Malay Peninsular, and Sumatra. Borneo island is highest diversity of salak because there were found 11 salak species, that indicated as centre of salak diversity and centre of salak origin in the world. Most of the species from this genus are restricted to very small areas. The salak habitat varied with wide range of altitudes, from 5 m fsl to 1700 m fsl, but most of them are in the lowlands. The species with the widest range of altitudes are S. dolicholepis but S. wallichiana and S. zalacca were most found in several regions. There is relationship between salak species and distribution areas statistically.