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Palms
Carpoxylon macrospermum |
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Descriptive Notes: Carpoxylon macrospermum H.A. Wendland and Drude. 30th November 1987. Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu.
General Aspect: |
Figure 1.
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Trunk:
tallest to about 18m; base expanded to 50cm diameter,
upward of 1 m above ground-level a uniform 35cm in diameter
attained for much of the height; internodes either closely
spaced to 2cm on higher parts of trunk or distant to 7cm
apart on adolescent and the lower parts of the mature trunks;
anular rings slightly raised, white; intersurface smooth,
dull green, turning grey with age.
Crownshaft:
large, columnar, 1.5 - 2.O m, shining uniform
green, smooth; splitting opposite the petiole prior to leaf
fall.
Leaf:
large 3.5 - 4.0m, becoming strongly arcuate toward
the apex; petiole short to 25cm, width at attachment to
crownshaft 15cm; rachis flexible, broadly ridged on the upper
surface, this ridge constricting to a sharp edge at mid leaf
and extending into the apex and beyond the apical pair of
pinnae for 12cm, forming a strong flexible extension;
undersurface smooth, rounded, dull green.
Pinnae:
linear, 3.5 - 4.0cm wide, acuminate; basal pinnae
to 30cm, mid-leaf pinnae to 1.5m, apical pinnae to 20cm,
stiffly coriacous, dull-green above, grey-green beneath;
light yellowish green in the 2cm at base; 69 per side,
progressively wider spaced form apex, 3.5cm apart to 8cm
apart at the base; apical pinnae attached to rachis at 180°
to each other, mid-leaf pinnae steeply ascending with a
divergent angle of 40°, basal pinnae set at an angle of 150°
prominently, flexibly veined; mid-vein most prominent of
seven evenly spaced veins, marginal vein more prominent than
the 2 intermediate veins.
Inflorescence::
unknown, collection presently being arranged.
Infructesence:
large and spreading, attached directly below
the crownshaft; 4-6 in progressive stages of development;
peduncle stout, to 14cm, elipsoidal in crosssection; 7cm
broad at basal bract scar, 5.5cm at second bract scar,
4.5cm at third bract scar, bract scars 5cm apart; twice branched,
primary branch 38cm in length, flat sided in four planes,
axis 20cm from the base of peduncle; subsequent branches
loosely arranged and inserted at 4cm intervals; progressively
smaller toward the apex; primary rachillae attached 5cm from
the axis; subsequent rachillae loosely arranged, evenly
spaced; basal rachillae to 40cm in length, apical 2/3 thin
and shrivelled; 2-6 fruits attached to base ; apical
rachillae to 20cm in length, only 1 fruit attached to base;
all infructescence surfaces smooth and uniform mid-green.
Fruits:
large ovoid-elipsoidal, with eccentric apical
stigmatic remains; epicarp smooth, lightly pleated in the
basal 1 cm; mesocarp, thin, dry, fibrous, yellowish; seed
large, oblong-ovoid flattened at the base; raphe fibres
attached longitudinally;, endocarp papery; endosperm jellyish,
white, central cavitywith clear liquid; mature fruits bright
orange; germination adjacent; eophyll bifid.
Uses:
The fruits are edible, resembling green coconut in
texture and flavour and considered somewhat of a delicacy by
the local villagers. The fruits are split between the teeth,
prised apart with the thumbs and slurped. The flavour is much
fuller than green coconut, as I can attest to. The palm
hearts are occasionally used to make salads, being mixed with
coconut juice. The local name is 'ninuvusa'.
Contributed by: John Dowe
Reproduced from PALMS & CYCADS No. 18, Jan-Mar 1988.
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