| Field notes | Solitary tree 12.6 m tall as measured to inseretion of lowermost leaf, 16 cm in diam. Leaf scars inconspicuous, stem covered by crustaceous lichens. Leaves in crown 23. Leaf sheath tubular about 35 cm long on petiolar side, extended to about 45 cm on opposite side, in young leaves yellow and coriaceous at the base to disintegrated in fibrous mesh and brown above the middle, extension opposite petiole (ligule) irregularly lobed, brown, chartaceous. Longest petiole 178 cm, armed for about 30 cm, flattened and green above (adaxial face), with rounded keel below, covered by waxy layer on the sides and greenish on the keel. Leaf blade glaucous green on both sides, main lobes at the base 67 cm long and, 2 cm wide, short indention 3-4 cm long, deep indention 50 cm long, at the sides 88 cm long and, 3.5 cm wide, short indentions about 3 cm, deep indentions 78 cm, at the apex (the middle), 105 cm long and, 4 cm wide, short indentions 1.5 cm, deep indentions 53 cm. Lamina with 7-9 tertiary undulations. Inflorescence branching in prophyll in three partials, the mid one being slightly longer than the laterals. Prophyll about 30 cm long, 10.5 cm wide, yellow and coriaceous basally, brown chartaceous distally, splitting along abaxial side and along carinae, covered by ferrugineous wooly tumentum along the carinae. Each partial inflorescence treated hereafter as individual inflorescences: one PD bract splitting along one of the lateral sides, about 30 cm long, greenish to olive green, covered by deciduous scaly hairs, brown chartaceous towards the tip, this being acuminate, peduncle as measured to the insertion of the first rachis bract 25-30 cm long (insertion inconspicuous), flattened to lentil shaped in cross section, 3 x 1.5 cm, contained in PD bract. Number of partial inflorescences (2. order branches) 11 on the laterals, 12-13 on the mid inflorescence, neatly arranged to one side with drooping, red rachillae. Rachis 95 cm long in the laterals, 100-105 cm long in the mid inflorescence, entirely covered by the rachis bracts, these being similar to the PD bracts in colour, texture and hair covering, however gradually decreasing in length and increasingly yellow towards the distal portion, floral branches of all orders as well as functional male flowers red, brittle. Infructescence collected from different gamet: all parts dried up with brown, chartaceous PD and rachis bracts. No. of '2. order' partials 7 but the apices are apparently missing. Fruits olive green to orange, ultimately red at maturity, globose to slightly obovate, 52 x 50 mm, epicarp covered by lenticels to corky in parts. Additional material: Habit photographs and close-ups of flowers (AAU), pickled material of flowers (AAU, JCT) and, early developmental stages of inflorescence buds (JCT). Duplicates at: AAU, LAE, BRI, K. |
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