| Field notes | Caespitose, 3-8 m tall palm. Trunk up to 6 m tall, but in collected specimen only 30 cm tall and 7 cm in diam., the base with few, red, c. 1 cm thick adventitious roots. Crown of 5, more or less erect, leaves; sheath 40 cm long, closed for most of its length; petiole 80 cm long, grooved on the basal 30 cm, round on the remainder; blade 240 x 120 cm, with 2 x 31 regularly inserted pinnae, rachis round on basal side, V-shaped above. Inflorescence infrafoliar, with one 22 x 3 cm prophyll and one bract; the bract inserted 5 cm from the base, pointed with a solid, 6 cm long tip, when old persistent and hanging down; peduncle 50 cm long, arching outwards, glabrous, yellow when young, turning red at maturity; rachis 10 cm long, first yellow, turning red at maturity; rachis 10 cm long, yellow when young, turning red at maturity; inflorescence branches 7-9, up to 45 cm long, pendant and spreading, yellow when young, bright red at maturity; flowers in triads of two males and one female; fruits along the whole inflorescence branch, 8 mm diam., first green, then black, spherical. Growing on slopes in terra firme forest on red soil. Duplicates: AAU, K, NY, QCA. |
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