Calyptrocalyx polyphyllus
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Calyptrocalyx polyphyllus Becc. owes its discovery to an early European explorer of the island of New Guinea. A Swiss expeditionary, Karl Lederman mapped the Sepik River (then known as Kaiser fluss) in Eastern New Guinea (now known as the nation, Papua New Guinea) and its many tributaries. Whilst surveying one such river, which was later named April River (to commemorate the month of this particular expedition in 1912-13 ) he traversed a section of the Hunstein Mountain Range, and presumably came across this palm species and added it to his botanical collections. All of his plant specimens were sent back to Europe where Odoardo Beecari was instrumental in eventually describing this particular palm species as being "polyphyllus" which in Latin means many leaved, and indeed on first impression it is certainly an accurate summation of this palm.
I have been doubly fortunate to have traversed a section of
the Hunstein Mountain Range and down the April River in 1993
and recently in 1995. I have seen C. polyphyllus
enough times now to advise that it also occurs in
neighbouring ranges, especially Waskuk Hills and an isolated
population (in respect to its distance from Hunstein Ranges)
in the Torricelli Mountain Range on the far interior side of
West Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea. I would venture to
say that I will probably see it again in some other part of
New Guinea, maybe even in Irian Jaya on the western side of
the island. Calyptrocalyx polyphyllus is a gregarious
palm species, like most in the genus, and occurs most
abundantly in colonies perched high on hilltops and mountain
ridges. It favours growing on rich volcanic, well drained,
red laterite soil. It seems particularly tolerant of dry
weather and hardly any leaf scald results when the canopy
overhead is disturbed.
The altitudinal range varies from 120 metres to 700 metres
and probably over. I suspect it to be on higher slopes but it
definitely gives way to a sympatric species,
Calyptrocalyx pauciflorus which becomes more abundant as one
goes higher. However in other localities, away from the
Hunstein Mountain Range, it doesn't seem as particular as to
soil type, terrain or altitude, so it only proves how
adaptable this species can be in nature and more importantly,
for horticulture.
The Baihinimo people of Hunstein Range refer to it as
Giagiau (pronounced ghee-aghee-ow) in their language and the
Brrinimo people of April River refer to it as Peliah
(pronounced pel-lee-ah) in their language. I have not
recorded any notable uses for this species, occasionally
stems may be used for spears, if they are convenient to where
the action is, but they aren't preferred. Seed of this
species has been made available to palm enthusiasts over the
last 2 years under the name, Calyptrocalyx species
'Giagiau' so it may pay to check back on your records to see
whether you have acquired it. Nowadays it is sold under its
botanic name.
It is really the appearance of the palm that makes it
instantly recognizable and appreciated by all who cultivate
it, with features such as caespitose habit, broad lanceolate
pinnae and newly emerging fronds that are maroon/red in
colour which literally advertises its presence in the lush
understory. My wantoks advise me a new leaf will retain its
colour for one week minimum, generally fading by the end of
the second week! Furthermore, this species retains the habit
of producing maroon/red new fronds right through its adult
life, unlike some Calyptrocalyx species. There are
approximately 25-30 pinnae per frond and they are alternately
arranged in a single plane along the rachis. The total length
of the frond, generally 1 metre or so. The pinnae are
lanceolate to broadly or oblong-lanceolate and have a
conspicuous midrib which holds the pinnae perpendicular to
the rachis. The apices of the pinnae are accuminate and
contract into a sharp point that can be likened to a
'drip-tip' most familiar to palm enthusiasts in Madagascar
dwarf, understory Dypsis spp. and South America
Chamaedorea spp. The pinnae are convex in cross
section, and are cupped downward, as a result of not having
rigid longitudinal nerves, and sometimes the leaf can take on
a 'pouch-like' almost contorted appearance. The pinnae
themselves make this palm distinctive, but their design is by
no means exclusive to this species of
Calyptrocalyx alone! I know of at least 3 others.
Figure 2. The distinctive pouch-shape of the pinnae with
'drip-tip' on an emerging leaf.
Mature specimens I saw had flowering stems 3-4 metres tall,
and they tended to dominate the plant, the smaller suckering
stems were less than one third in size, and tended to be
obscured by the undergrowth. This is a bonus for
horticulturalists, as any offending stems can be pruned out,
rest assured there will be plenty of replacement stems lying
in wait.
The inflorescence is a simple spike, that emerges above a
leaf axil, inside a leaf base. It has a well concealed
prophyl, which is retained, and a peduncular bract that tears
into two halves and hangs from the peduncle. The rachillae
(the portion of the spike with the flowers) appears like a
thick rod and occupies the last third of the total length
(about 60-100 cm) of the peduncle. Flowers are arranged in
triads, sunken in triangular pits on the rachillae, 2 males
subtend a central female flower. A single male flower (of the
pair) opens first, and is easily noticed because of its mass
of white Stamens and subtle fragrance. After this the second
male flower (of the pair) will repeat the process. The entire
sequence takes around a month. The female flower, being so
rarely visible, is not so well known about and I think it is
many weeks later before they come into flower. One thing is
for certain, the male flowers have to finish their cycle
first and drop off, so as to expose the female flower, which
actually sits wedged between the two males. Fruits are ovate
about 1 cm across, with succulent mesocarp, the surface of
which is slightly grainy to feel, the endosperm is covered by
a paper thin shell, which has some ~bres adhered to the
surface, botanically it would'be recognised as a berry. The
fruits take approximately 3 months to develop to maturity and
undergo 3 colour changes; green, yellow and scarlet, mostly
they are congested, all interlocking on the rachillae. Seeds
usually germinate in a few weeks.
The eophyll is bifid, and at least 7-8 juvenile leaves are
produced before the first pinnate leaf emerges. At this time
red colour should be showing in this leaf, and it will
continue this habit for all subsequent pinnate leaves
produced right through the palm's life.
As far as this palm's introduction to horticulture in
Australia (at least), the earliest records I can trace is via
Glen Dawes, who in collaboration with the Coutts brothers
established Glen Idle Nursery south of Cairns in the early
1980's and imported palm seed from all over the globe. During
sometime in between 1983-1985, seeds o this palm and other
New Guinea species were sent to Glen via a geologist contact
working in Papua New Guinea at the time He was said to have
been travelling up the April River when he allegedly saw a
grove of this palm species on a bank of the river The long
spicate infructescences were dangling conveniently within
arm's reach and were grabbed from the canoe! It was
speculated that this would probably be the last time this
species would ever be collected because of the precarious
locality of this grove (M. Daish- pers. comm.) and owing to
the river's propensity to tear away it own banks during the
wet season, it was feared this species would become lost.
Exciting stuff ! and convincing PR to entice even the most
conservative palm enthusiast into buying seedlings. And buy
them they did!
Many local palm collectors have their specimens still and it
is largely through their growing accounts, that so much is
known about its nature in cultivation. Already specimens from
Glen Idle Nursery are producing viable fruit. (M. Daish- pers
comm) in various enthusiasts's collection: At the Flecker
Botanic Gardens in Cairn: we have 3 specimens, 2 are
approaching maturity of which one has commenced flowering for
the first time.
Growing records are not well known outside of Australia,
although it has been alleged to be in cultivation in U.S.A.,
but proof has not been forthcoming yet. Seedlings that have
been raised in U.S.A. from recent shipments over the last 2
years, appear to be doing well. (C. York- pers. comm.)
Plants growing in the southern parts of Australia are able to
grow fine, but cannot tolerate frost, and demand protection
over winter, generally a drop in temperature has not been
found to be detrimental once plants are established in the
ground. Temperatures as low as 10 degrees have been recorded
in this instance!
Presumably under protection in a heated nursery or
shadehouse situation, temperature can be regulated anyway.
Already this palm species is being trialled in large quantity
as a potential indoor or patio palm for the tropics, however
the results are not yet available. This year should see the
first large-scale, commercial debut of this species in north
Queensland at least. (M. Spina- pers. comm.)
To my mind Calyptrocalyx polyphyllus will become a
paragon by which all other New Guinea
Calyptrocalyx species will be measured, and from the
other 15 or so species I've seen and recorded, it will
definitely be a hard act to follow. Of course there maybe one
or two species worth mentioning, but that is unfortunately
for now, another story.
Contributed by:
Michael D. Ferrero (Text)
I. Tortike (Figures 1 & 2)
David Warmington (Figure 3)
 
Reproduced from Palms&Cycads No 51, Apr-Jun 1996
