Pinanga sobolifera (Pinanga sobolifera)

Description

Clustering slender unarmed pleonanthic monoecious undergrowth palm, to 2 m tall. Stem to 2.5 cm in diam., internodes to 5-10 cm long; runner shoots or stolons produced at base of stem. Crownshaft elongate, cylindrical, slightly swollen, to 35 cm long. Leaves to 5 in crown; leaf sheath about 30 cm long; leaf without sheath to 1.1 m long; petiole about 8 x 0.8 cm, channelled adaxially, rounded abaxially. Leaflets 10-13 on each side of the rachis, regularly arranged to 6-7 cm apart; basal leaflets 1-2-costate, c. 24 x 1.5 cm, sigmoidal, the apex long-acuminate; middle leaflets 2-costate, about 45-55 x 2.7 cm, ± straight, lanceolate, the apex long-acuminate; terminal leaflets to 8-costate, about 34 x 5.7 cm, joined at the base to 18 cm along the rachis. Inflorescence infrafoliar, pendulous; prophyll elliptic-ensiform, 2-keeled, about 10 x 4.5 cm; peduncle 2.7 x 0.5 cm, flattened, greenish when fresh; rachillae 8-11, borne 1 cm apart, each to 17 cm long, angular, 2 mm thick, greenish as peduncle; the subtending bract narrowly annular, apiculate in the middle part; triads borne spirally in 3 series along the rachilla. Staminate flower triangular, trigonous, asymmetrical, 5 x 3.5 mm; sepals 3, triangular, acuminate, 2 x 1 mm; petals 3, unequal, valvate, triangular or ovate-lanceolate, 4 x 3 mm; stamens about 9-12; anthers basifixed, 2 x 1 mm; filaments 0.5 mm long. Pistillate flower depressed-globose, 2 x 2.5 mm, sepals ± as long as the petals; sepals 3, free, imbricate, 1 mm high, ± narrower than the sepals and more cucullate, ciliolate along the margins; ovary shortly oblong 1.5 x 1 mm, tipped with an irregularly-lobed stigma. Fruiting perianth depressed-cupular, 2 mm high, 3 mm across, with a flat base and contracted mouth, the sepals and petals free and imbricate, subequal, glabrous; the subtending bract a very low explanate annular collar. Fruits spirally arranged along the rachilla, about 5 mm apart, ripening pinkish then purplish-black, ellipsoid-ovoid, about 1.2 x 0.8 cm, shortly beaked; epicarp drying light brown and finely striate; mesocarp thinly fibrous; seed ovoid, 1 x 0.7 cm, acute at tip, caudiculate at base; endosperm ruminate; embryo basal. (E.S. Fernando. 1994)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.