| Field notes | Garden Description: Single-stemmed, erect trunk 13.2 m long, DBH c. 40 cm (26 cm below uppermost leaf sheath), bark beige with longitudinal furrows, diffusely ringed with leaf scars. Leaves in apical cluster of 52, lower leaves pendulous, upper youngest leaves erect. Leaf costapalmate, filiferous, bases enclosing the upper 0.6 m of the stem, ensheathing leaf base splitting in centre, fibrous. Petiole 120-170 cm long, to 7 cm wide at base of free part, 2.5-4.5 cm wide at apex. Lamina to c. 170 x 190 cm, with a yellowish cloud in centre, 15 cm wide; young leaves pruinose. Hastula 13.5-23 cm long, oblique by 0-4.5 cm, margin± in rolled, orange-brown woolly, caducous. Costa 85-110 cm long, twisted. Segments 98-102 per leaf, to c. 150 cm long, connate 60-75 cm, free part 70-85 cm. Flowers not seen. lnfructescences appearing between leaves (11 in total}, 2-2.5 m long, pendulous, with 3- ordered branching (up to 22 primary branches each with up to 14 secondary each with 2-7 tertiary branches), rachis yellow-green. Fruit globose (very slightly pyriform}, 2 x 2 cm when fresh (1.5-1.6 x 1.6 cm when dry), green to dark brown (mature). Associated material: herbarium collection (AAU, E, K (boxes)); Fruits in alcohol (E}, DNA sample (E incl. liquid nitrogen sample); digital photographs (E) |
