| Field notes | Solitary palmtree; trunk erect, app. 2 m tall from base to insertion of uppermost juvenile leaf, with persistent leaf bases to the ground that are grey outside from covering of crustaceous lichens, trunk diam. at 50 cm above the ground app. 50 cm (leaf bases included). One juvenile spear shaped leaf; leaves 15, graciously curving, taller individuals nearby observed with a mat of persistent old leaves below crown, smaller individuals probably cleaned for such to facilitate extraction of the ivory nuts and of leaves for thatching; transition from sheathing region to petiolar region gradual and inconspicuous, the two of them being together app. 100 cm, visible part of sheathing region with dark brown, rim or fibrous mesh marginally to 0.5 cm wide; cross section of petiole below lowermost pinnae 6.5 x 4.5 cm, petiolar region of some leaves irregularly greyish patterned maybe from disease, otherwise glabrous and green; rachis 675 cm long, green, with or without irregular grey patches, proximally flattened above the median ridge, narrowing gradually into a more or less sharp ridge being conspicuous at 381 cm above the base; number of pinnae 121 inserted in groups of (from base, one side): (6x1)+4+4+1+3+2+3+2+3+3+1+2+4+2+4+4+5+4+2+5+ 3+3+2+3+2+4+2+4+1+3+1+4+2+3+2+3+(10x1), proximal pinnae of each group pointing up to 5° above the transversal plane of distal pinnae, longest pinna 88 x 6.5 cm, apically acute and hood shaped, midnerve above yellowish green, prominulent. Infructescence: peduncle not visible, probably up to app. 50 cm long, with prophyll and one sheathing bract being both persistent, cross section of tubular part of sheathing bract flattened 6.5 x 4 cm. Fruits closely inserted forming a spherical, head-like structure up to 35 cm in diam; number of fruits pr. head varying from 10 to 25, some infructescences have much fewer fruits and many sterile bracts distally on the abaxial side of the peduncle; tepals persistent jutting out between the carpels, styles and stigmas also persistent. Male inflorescence collected but not described. |
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