Microchirita in Peninsular Malaysia 
3 
(Forest Research Institute Malaysia) nursery. Digital colour photographs were taken to 
illustrate morphology and habitat. 
To examine the testa surface, seeds of Microchirita species were removed 
from fruits of herbarium specimens or from fresh material and were mounted using 
double-sided tape on aluminium stubs. They were then sputter coated with gold at 20 
in A for 90 seconds. The specimens were then examined under a Scanning Electron 
Microscope, models FEI (Quantum 200) and JEOL (JSM-6400). Micrographs were 
made to record details of the seed at various magnifications. 
To prepare distribution maps of a particular species/taxon, data from herbarium 
specimens were entered directly into BRAHMS (Botanical Research and Herbarium 
Management System) database software. The conservation status assessment for all 
species was made using the modified Malaysian Plant Red List Categories which is 
used solely for species growing in Malaysia (Chua & Saw, 2006). The Malaysian 
Rare (RA) category is an additional category to the IUCN Red List Categories (Chua, 
2012) and refers to taxa that are rare but not necessarily in danger of extinction. A 
taxon data information sheet was completed for each species and the information was 
uploaded into the Malaysia Clearing House Mechanism website (http://www.chm. 
frim.gov.my/). The Extent of Occurrence (EOO) and Area of Occupancy ( AOO) were 
calculated for each species using Arc View GIS 3.2a software. Distribution maps of all 
species are shown in Maps 1-7. 
Conservation status and threats 
In Malaysia, the limestone flora has repeatedly been recognised as critically endangered 
(Davis et al., 1995a, 1995b; Chua et al., 2009; Saw et al., 2009; Kiew et al., 2011) and 
has been identified as one of the Important Plant Areas (IPAs) (Kiew et al., 2011). In 
Peninsular Malaysia, limestone karst hills are mostly concentrated in the central and 
northern states and most hills lie on state land that has no legal protection (Chua et 
al., 2009). According to Kiew (1991), the limestone flora is particularly vulnerable 
because it occupies such a small area (0.4% of the land area of Peninsular Malaysia), 
and is threatened by quarrying and mining, land clearance for agricultural practices, 
burning, flooding by hydroelectric dams, temple building and damage associated with 
recreational activities. Price (2001) stated that in 1975, a total of 62 limestone hills 
were quarried (3 in Perlis, 8 in Kedah, 32 in Perak, 3 in Selangor, 7 in Pahang and 6 
in Kelantan). However by 2013, there were 66 active quarries in Perak (Ramli et al., 
2014) alone. In Sarawak, the major threats to the vegetation of limestone hills include 
farming activities, which can lead to the burning of limestone vegetation, quarrying 
and the collection of plants for sale. 
The current critical threats to Microchirita species are mostly from quarrying 
and mining of the limestone, mostly for cement, thereby destroying the habitat and 
the vegetation. Endemic species are the most vulnerable to extinction. Other threats 
to the plant populations are land clearance around the foothills, mostly for agriculture 
leading to changes in microclimate and increased risk of fire, particularly in Kelantan 
