| Field notes | A solitary tree. The base with 18 adventitious roots forming an open inverted cone that lifts the base of the trunk above the ground; each root brown, capiously provided with spines, the thickest to 8 cm in diam and 2 m long, some secondary branching near the ground. The trunk 19 m long, smooth, brown, 12 cm in diam at the base. Crownshaft 120 cm long, green. Crown of 7spreading leaves; petiole 15 cm long, slightly channeled at the base, round below the blade, of a spongy texture, (little fibrous ?); blade 220 x 120 cm with 18 fanshaped divided pinnae on each side. Inflorescences 2 inserted just below the crown, the youngest one yellow with very young fruits and persistent prophyll which stands erect and persistent spathe, the second with young fruits as well but green all over and completely without prophyll and spathe. The two lowest leafsheats covering inflorescences which are completely enclosed in the spathe. Uses: Trunk used for house cconstruction. Palmhart used to kill cockroaches. The raw palmhart is taken out and placed in the roofthatching of the houses. Leaves and fruits not used. |
This record