| Field notes | Solitary, single-stemmed, dioecious palm with stem to 9.5m tall. Stem 90cm circumference at base, widening to a maximum of 240cm circumference at 7.1 m height. Stem grey with distinct leaf scars, though some obscured by burning and termite activity. Crown of 20 green leaves including 3 unexpanded leaves in the sword. Leaves costapalmate, costa between 100cm and 180cm long. Petiole dark brown to yellow-green in colour, armed with recurved black spines, and between 150cm and 180cm long. Lamina divided to 60cm, with between 86 and 103 leaflets. Shortest leaflet between 60 and 83cm long. Female tree with 19 almost mature infructescences, borne axillary. Each infructescence with between 10 and 25 fruits. Infructescences up to 140cm long, unbranched, and with 4 empty bracts. Bracts yellow with green stripes. Fruits rounded, between 6.2cm and 8.6cm long, and between 6 cm and 8.2cm diameter. Fruits green-orange in colour and with a sweet fragrance. New inflorescences emerging from upper axils. Specimens preserved using the Schweinfurth method, which may cause discolouration. Dead petioles burned as firewood. Generally considered a weed of agriculture, and frequently burned. Some specimens (particularly branched trees) are considered sacred in some communities. Vernacular: mvumo, Dialect: Swahili. Duplicates: K, EA, AAU |
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