| Field notes | Solitary tree on terra firma slope. Stiltroots numerous, reaching 35 cm., to 0.8 cm wide, smooth but with a few prickly lenticels, red to lightbrown. Stem 575 cm long, 7.5 cm (basally) to 8.5 cm (distally) wide; internodes 15 cm (basally) and (distally), smooth, basally brown, green in the middle, yellow distally. Leaves 10 (+ 1 sword); old leafbases persistent down to 80 cm. under thr first green leaf; leafbase 100 cm long, 28 cm wide basally, sheathing for the first 41 cm., 31 cm wide where sheathing ceases, fleshy to woody, smooth, whitish-yellow basally, red in the middle to brown with small brown dots distally, margin forming a fibrous layer; petiole 52 cm. long, 3.5 cm. (basally) to 2.7 cm (distally) wide rounded below, flattened above, margins sharp, green, rachis 243 cm. long, green. Cross-section blade 260 cm long, 120 cm wide, elliptic, flat, pinnae 2 x 55, insertion reduplicate, even and in one plane except the 2 - 3 lower pinnae at each side which are held at different angles, (55 x 0.3 - 0.8) cm, basally, (65 x 4.5) cm in the middle, (31 x 3) cm apically, lightly pliated, keeled at the apex, green on both sides, major nerve +/- green. Inflorescence bud borne under the leafbase of an old leaf; prophyll 22 cm long, 6.5 cm wide, bicarinate, yellow basally to reddish-brown distally, abaxially with a furrow running from base to 1/3 of the lenght and 1 cm wide. Infrutescences 2, infrafoliar, borne respectively at the 6. and 5. internode below the first green leaf; prophyll and peduncular bract deciduous (2 scars seen); peduncle 23 cm long, 6 cm (basally) to 2.2 cm (distally) wide, smooth, yellow to red; rachis 43 cm long, smooth, yellow to red; rachillae 58, evenly inserted, 61 cm long basally, to 34 cm distally. Fruits 1.1 cm diam. globose, green when young. Uses: Leaves used for roofing. NV: Chapin-sa-chi (cayapa) |
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