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Palms
Linospadix microcarya |
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Synonymy:
Linospadix microcaryus
var. multisecta
Beccari
Bacularia sessilifolia
var. multisecta
Beccari
Bacularia microcarya
Distribution:
Australia. North-east Queensland.
From Mts. Spurgeon and Lewis to just
south of Innisfail, most common on the
lower slopes of Mts. Bartle Frere and
Bellenden-Ker, and the Malbon Thompson
Range, from 0-1600 m elevation, in rainforest
on granite, or occasionally on basalt
and metamorphics.
Derivation of Name:
Latin, micro - small,
carya - fruit, in reference to the
comparalively small fruit of this species.
Description:
Clustering, small palm. Stems 1-6, to 3 m
tall, 7-25 mm diameter, internodes elongate,
green; crown with 5-9 leaves. Leaves 28-70 cm long,
irregularly segmented with
united pinnae, segments broadly adnate to
the rachis, or regularly pinnate; petiole 1-23 cm long,
3-6 mm wide; pinnae 3-23 per
leaf, 11-36.5 cm long, by 0.9-7.4 cm wide,
I when backlit under 10x magni~cation, has
numerous scattered clear elongate 'cells'
0.5-1 mm long linearly parallel to midrib
and veins. Inflorescence to 80 cm long.
Staminate flowers globose to bullet-shaped
in bud, 2-5 mm long; petals 3 times the
length of sepals, apically rounded, without
longitudinal striations, cream/dull yellow
at anthesis, not widely opening; stamens 8-12;
connective not extending beyond the
anther. Fruit globose/turbinate, 5-9 mm long
by 5-8 mm wide, yellow-orange, or pink to
red at maturity; epicarp smooth. Seed
subglobose.
This species is the most common Linospadix in the Mt. Bellenden-Ker and Mt. Bartle Frere area. Linospadix microcarya stands apart from the other species due to some unique features: the leaf lamina contains elongate clear 'cells' that are visible under 10x magnification, fruit is globose/turbinate, and staminate flowers are globose and do not open widely at anthesis.
Linospadix microcarya - as Bacularia microcarya - was described by K. Domin in 1915 from a collection made by E M. Bailey from Harvey' s Creek in the foothills of Mt. Bartle Frere, Queensland.
| Contributed by: | John Dowe (Text - from Palms & Cycads No. 58, Jan-Mar 1998) |
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