Desmoncus stans Grayum & Nevers, Principes 32: 106 (1988)

Primary tabs

https://media.e-taxonomy.eu/palmae/photos/palm_tc_60428_1.jpg

Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Costa Rica present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
From 8°31'-8°46'N and 83°15'-83°36'W in the Osa Peninsula and adjacent areas in Costa Rica at 301(100-700) m elevation in lowland rainforest. (Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88)A

Discussion

  • Taxonomic notes:-Unusual in its non-climbing habit, pinnae with long, filiform apices, and spicate inflorescences.
    Subspecific variation:-There is no geographic disjunction. The length of the rachilla is given above as 2.5(1.8-3.0) cm long. However, one cultivated specimen (Grayum 8115 at CR), not included here, has a rachilla 11 cm long with a distal, 7 cm section with only staminate flowers. It appears that this distal staminate section is always present but soon separates and falls from the inflorescence, and so the rachilla seems shorter. (Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88)A

Description

  • Plants 1.3(0.5-2.3) m tall; stems 0.7(0.5-1.0) cm diameter, clustered. Leaf petioles 8.7(5.5-12.5) cm long; rachises 21.7(15.0-28.0) cm long, 2.4(1.7-3.3) mm wide, the spines usually >1 cm long, mostly adaxial or lateral, straight with briefly swollen bases; pinnae 5(4-6) per side of rachis, with long, filiform apices, without a beard of spines at the bases, with uneven surfaces at the bases adaxially, usually covered with spinules and/or dense tomentum; basal pinna 14.2(10.7-19.0) cm long, 3.7(2.4-4.3) cm wide; cirri absent, the rachis terminating beyond the distalmost, opposite pair of pinnae in a <1 cm long ?stub?, this with an easily broken, longer, smooth, brown extension. Inflorescences rachis absent (inflorescence spicate); peduncles 2.3(1.8-2.7) mm wide; peduncular bracts 14.4(12.3-18.0) cm long, narrow, ribbed, densely whitish-brown tomentose, not spiny; rachillae 1, brown tomentose initially, 2.5(1.8-3.0) cm long, 1.6(1.4-2.0) mm wide; stamens 6; fruits 13.3(12.8-13.7) mm long, 10.5(9.5-11.1) mm wide, the surfaces uneven with numerous, subepidermal, short, often branching (Y-shaped) fibers; fruiting corollas less than one quarter as long as fruits, splitting irregularly into 3 lobes, the lobes often splitting again; endocarps globose to obovoid with rounded or slightly peaked apices, the pores lateral. (Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88)A

Bibliography

    A. Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae