| Field notes | Solitary tree palm to 15m. Stem 30cm diam., internodes 3-5cm. Wood pale brown outer fibres, parenchyma with large open vessels, spongy. Crownshaft 270 x 26cm, sheath 170cm long, with white waxy indumentum, striate towards apex. Leaves 24 in crown, arching strongly, petiole and lower rachis yellowish-green with white and brown indumentum. Leaflets regularly arranged, with conspicuous ramenta. Inflorescences 95cm long including 19cm peduncle, horsetail-shaped, branched to 4 orders, 22 primary branches, largest primary branch to 70cm, prophyll 70 x 15cm, keels pithy, prophyll and peduncular bract sometimes sinuous, prophyll scar prominent with rounded "shoulders", rachillae at least partly sinuous. Fruit cylindrical, red, small black dot for stigmatic remains. Endosperm homogeneous, embryo basal. Stem for flooring; sheath for baskets. Vernacular: Arwaf. Dialect: Biak. |
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