Kentiopsis magnifica (Kentiopsis magnifica)

Description

Emergent palm. Trunk to 25 m. tall, 25 cm. in diam.. Crown holds 8-9 leaves, spreading; sheath 0.8-0.9(- 1.5) m. long, initially covered with blackish-centered, white-margined scales; petiole 20 cm. long, minutely covered with brown-centered pale-margined scales of trichomes concrescent toward center; rachis ca. 2.25 m. long, densely covered by similar scales; pinnae up to 55 on each side, dark green on both surfaces and coriaceous, with numerous veins especially prominent abaxially, median pinnae 74-80 x 2.4-5 cm., the lower most continuing into lorae to 2 m. long, all arranged in one plane, although leaves in upper part of crown often twisted so pinnae oriented vertically (but still in one plane). Inflorescences 45-55 cm. long, spreading, branched to three orders; peduncle 6.5-9 cm. long, densely covered especially proximally, with small brown-centered scales with long diverging white trichomes along margins; prophyll and first peduncular bract 5l-55 cm. long, densely tomentose-floccose abaxially; rachis l6-17.5 cm. long, scarcely scaly, with 15-20 angled branches; rachillae 27-44 cm. longo waxy glaucous and glabrous. Flowers in triads nearly to apex of rachillae; bract subtending triad prominent, rounded, lip-like; staminate flowers brown in bud, white inside, symmetrical, 12 mm. in diameter and l0 mm. high at anthesis; stamens 32-38, exceeding petals, connate basally in a conspicuous ring, filaments 5 mm. long, equalling petals, subulate, awl-shaped, straight at apex, anthers 3.5 mm. long, linear-oblong, introrse, connective large, dark; pistillode less than half as high as filaments, conic, 3-lobed; outer bracteole surrounding pistillate flower ring-like, equalling triad bract, inner one twice as high, partly surrounding flower, both brown.; pistillate flowers B X 6 mm. at anthesis, gynoecium 5 mm. high, ovoid, stigmatic lobes prominent, white; staminodes 2-3. Fruits 2.2 X 1.2 cm., red, perianth brown, stigmatic remains apical; mesocarp with longitudinal fibers adherent to endocarp only basally; endocarp glossy, with longitudinal groove and round basal invagination. Seeds 15-16 X 9 mm, bullet-shaped, truncate basally. Leaves of juvenile individuals distichously arranged; "saxophone" type establishment growth lacking.