| Field notes | Solitary. Stem erect, columnary, 8 m, diam. 43 cm, brown, the upper stem covered with persistent remains of erect sheaths and petioles, these with 1 mm thick and up to 30 cm long spiny fibers on margins, internodes 21 cm at base. Leaves 18, erect, arching, with rachis twisted so pinnae appear in a vertical plane; sheath and petiole 40 cm wide at base. Inflorescence interfoliar, arching; prophyll dropped; peduncular bract 270 cm, 17 cm wide at middle, 1.5 cm thick, round in cross section, narrowly lanceolate, basal 50 cm sheathing peduncle, woody, outside deeply longitudinally fissured, glabrous inside, terminating in a solid pointed tip; peduncle 120 cm, 8 cm wide, 4 cm thick, oval in cross section, light yellowish green but covered with a brown tomentum, above each rachillae a 3 cm long and 1 cm wide furrow; rachis 107 cm, cream coloured, tapering towards apex; rachillae numerous, inserted spirally, each rachillae subtended by a bract, basal rachillae 29 cm wide, middle rachillae 33 cm long, apical rachillae 19 cm long. Staminate flowers dropped, but collected from the ground underneath. Decaying fruit ditto. |
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