| Field notes | Population of about 50 individuals introduced to the area. Also growing in the area was one male and one female individual of Borassus aethiopum var. senegalensis with more rigid leaves, arranged in 5 vertical series in the crown and with green fruits. Borassus aethiopum Mart. var. aethiopum Individual collected about 9 m tall, ventricose basally and beneath the crown this character being irregular throughout the population. Trunk 36 cm in diam. at breast height, gray and slightly ringed. Crown of 21 green leaves and 8 marcescent leaves, overall shape rounded. Leaf bases surrounding the trunk, split open to the base on side opposite to petiole, and splitting also in the petiolar region during development. At maturity of the leaf the split terminates approx. 50 cm above the point of insertion. Leaf base and basal part of petiole shiny black on both sides this coulour intergrading into greenish-yellow distally from about where the petiole can be defined. Leaf sheath with few, short and rough fibres distally. Petiole 107 cm long, with sharp, black, charactaceous margin breaking in irregular almost spiny looking processes. Leaf coriaceous but not rigid like the var. senegalensis growing nearby, undulating in 10-12 wawes, the middle one acually consisting of 2-3 minor wawes on top of a larger one. The apices of the segments are rather lax and hanging. Leaf blade glaucous green, smooth abaxially and not rough like the var. senegalensis. Abaxial and adaxial splits of the blade variable. Basally: 55 cm and 10 cm; middle part: 65 cm and 12-13 cm; apically: 61 cm and 11.5 cm. Dried old inflorescences collected from the ground under individuals nearby: prophyll 41 cm long, splitting abaxially. First sterile peduncular bract 42 cm long, pointed apically, compressed laterally. Inflorescence branching above second peduncular bract in two partial inflorescences (collected). Inflorescence at anthesis cut down from crown: bracts and floral branches green. Rachillae greenish beige, 35-37 cm long, 3.5 cm in diam., distal margin of individual bracts subtending cincinni yellowish tinged. Observations made with binoculars on pistillate individuals and fruiting individuals in the same population. Young pistillate flowers very similar to those of Borssus flabellifer. Fruits larger than those of Borassus flabelifer and rounded. Colour yellow when mature. Also very characteristic is the pointed apex of the fruit forming a button-like structure. |
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