Manjekia Heatubun & W.J. Baker, Kew Bull. 69: 9525 (2014)

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Irian Jaya present

Description

  • Moderately robust, solitary, unarmed, pleonanthic, monoecious, mid-storey to emergent tree palm. Stem erect, moderate, leaf node scars prominent, surface grey to brown. Leaves pinnate, arching, crown spherical in outline; sheath tubular, forming well-defined crownshaft, pale, dull green, with thin grey scurfy indumentum with scattered purple-brown scales, somewhat eroded or fibrous at mouth; petiole present, channelled adaxially, rounded abaxially, with indumentum as on the sheath; rachis arching, rounded abaxially, channelled or ridged adaxially, with indumentum as on the sheath; leaflets single-fold with inconspicuous main vein, regularly arranged (or somewhat subregularly), in one plane, drooping or pendulous in emergent individuals, slightly discolorous, with minute brown punctate scales and scattered medifixed ramenta abaxially, basal leaflets lanceolate, apex obliquely praemorse, with persistent reins attached to apex, middle leaflets oblanceolate, cucullate, apex obliquely praemorse, concave, transverse veinlets inconspicuous, apical leaflets linear or narrowly elliptic, apex truncate, praemorse. Inflorescence infrafoliar, protandrous, branching to 4 orders, divaricate, patent, deflexed in fruit, axes white, rubbery, with caducous floccose orange-brown indumentum when young; peduncle moderately elongated, flattened, elliptic in section, shorter than rachis, sometimes with matted, scurfy indumentum of black brown scales basally; prophyll greenish white, glabrous, 2-keeled, splitting apically, caducous later; first peduncular bract, glabrous, exserted from prophyll apex and enclosing inflorescence prior to anthesis, caducous later; remaining inflorescence bracts inconspicuous; basal-most primary inflorescence branch longer than other primary branches, with numerous secondary branches and rachillae; rachillae somewhat sinuous, glabrous, floral triads moderately closely spaced, spirally arranged. Staminate flower bulletshaped in bud, symmetrical, greenish white, sepals 3, distinct, strongly imbricate, rounded, thickened; petals 3, valvate, briefly united at base, narrowly elliptic, bony; stamens numerous, c. 30, rather similar in length, filaments briefly connate at base, awl-shaped; anthers oblong, dorsifixed near the base, latrorse, connective dark; pistillode almost equal in height to the stamens, lageniform with an elongate stylar section. Pistillate flower ovoid, smaller than the staminate flowers, pale green to greenish white, borne in proximal half to two-thirds of the rachilla; sepals 3, asymmetrical; petals 3, strongly imbricate, similar to sepals; staminodes few, minute, tooth-like; gynoecium pyriform, stigmas at anthesis not seen, ovule basal. Fruit ellipsoid, stigmatic remains apical, persistent, brown-black; epicarp smooth, somewhat shiny, thin, ripening through orange to red, with sparse, minute black dots, perianth cupule clasping; mesocarp fibrous, fleshy; endocarp thin, straw-coloured, with few, thick, longitudinal fibres interspersed and numerous, very fine fibres closely adhering to endocarp. Seed ellipsoid, without grooves or angles, rounded in cross-section; hilum elliptical, elongate, running from base to apex; raphe branches anastomosing; endosperm ruminate; embryo basal, white. (C.D. Heatubun, Zona, S. & Baker, W.J. 2014: Three new genera of arecoid palm (Arecaceae) from eastern Malesia. – In: Kew Bulletin 69)A

Bibliography

    A. C.D. Heatubun, Zona, S. & Baker, W.J. 2014: Three new genera of arecoid palm (Arecaceae) from eastern Malesia. – In: Kew Bulletin 69