A Preliminary Checklist of Flowering Plants in Pangkor Selatan Forest Reserve, Perak, Peninsular Malaysia

A preliminary botanical survey was conducted in the coastal hill forest in Pangkor Selatan Forest Reserve, Perak, Peninsular Malaysia. Standard methods were used to record the species found around this forest. The first method involved the collection of herbarium specimens which are complete with fruit and flowers (fertile specimens). Unfortunately during this survey many species did not bear fruits or flowers. The second method involved the collection of sterile specimens (without fruits and flowers) to be used as voucher specimens and the third method was by random observation where the plants were observed without any specimen collection. The fourth method involved the establishment of small plots where all plants were enumerated. In the first and second methods, the specimens were collected and processed. The fertile specimens were kept in the Herbarium of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKMB) as a reference in the future. Identification was done by comparing with those reference collections in herbarium UKMB and herbarium of Forest Research Institute (KEP) plus referring to local botanical books. A total of 237 taxa belonging to 170 genera and 64 families were recorded. Dicotyledons are represented by 59 families while the monocotyledons are represented by only 5 families. The family Euphorbiaceae is the most speciose with 21 species and followed by Dipterocarpaceae with 14 species. Both the genera Diospyros and Syzygium are the largest with 8 species each. The species that are commonly found in these forests include Cnestis palala, Rourea minor, Hopea beccariana, Diospyros clavigera, Hydnocarpus filipes, Fordia unifoliata, Memecylon pubescens, Pternandra coerulescens, Ficus variegata, F. vasculosa, Knema stenophylla, Syzygium zeylanicum, Strombosia javanica, Eugeissona tristis, Orania sylvicola, Xanthophyllum affine, Gynotroches axillaris, Aidia densiflora, Diplospora malaccensis, Gardenia carinata, Psydrax sp. 10, Paramignya sp., Grewia laevigata, Schoutenia accrescens ssp. accrescens and Rinorea anguifera. A total of 25 endemic taxa to Peninsular Malaysia has been recorded in this study including Fordia unifoliata, a small tree of ca. 10 m tall, endemic to Perak and restricted to coastal hill forest. In addition, a total of 48 species of flowering plants in Pangkor Selatan Forest Reserve was listed in 2020 IUCN Red List Categories and related reference. It is clear that this coastal hill forest has supported many species of flowering plants including endemic taxa and this forest need to be conserved.