Roystonea lenis León, Mem. Soc. Cub. Hist. Nat. ''Felipe Poey'' 17: 8 (1943)

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Cuba present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Restricted to the province of Guantánamo, eastern Cuba, at 350-420 m altitude, but apparently not as narrowly distributed as other eastern Cuban Roystonea (Zona, 1991 ). (Zona, S. 1996. Roystonea.(Arecaceae: Arecoideae). Flora Neotropica Monograph 71, 1-35.)A

Discussion

  • In his original description of this species, León (1943) emphasized the "filamentous processes" originatingfrom the leaf rachis in conjunction with each leaf segment (see León, 1943: pi. 1, fig. 5). Such filaments are not characteristic of any other individuals of this species (or of any species of palm), so it seems likely that the type with its filamentous processes represents an aberrant individual.
    This species can be reliably recognized by its reniform sepals of the staminate flowers and by the hard, nearly spherical endocarp. Otherwise, this species closely resembles the common R. regia. (Zona, S. 1996. Roystonea.(Arecaceae: Arecoideae). Flora Neotropica Monograph 71, 1-35.)A

Common Name

  • Palma conga, palma de seda, palma india. (Zona, S. 1996. Roystonea.(Arecaceae: Arecoideae). Flora Neotropica Monograph 71, 1-35.)A

Uses

  • Trunks are used for timber; leaves and leafbases are used for thatch and wrapping material. Fruits are used as hog feed. (Zona, S. 1996. Roystonea.(Arecaceae: Arecoideae). Flora Neotropica Monograph 71, 1-35.)A

Description

  • Trunk gray-white, to 20 m tall, 35-47 cm diam. and often ventricose.
    Leaves ca. 15, lowest leaves hanging well below the horizontal; crownshaft ca. 2 m long; petiole 0.2-0.7 m long; rachis 4-5.8 m long; middle segments 87-132 cm long and 2.5-4.5 cm wide.
    Inflorescence ca. 1 m long and 1 m wide; prophyll not seen; peduncular bract ca. 1.8 m long, widest at the middle, apex acuminate; rachillae puberulent, 14-31 cm long and 1-2.8 10 m diam. Staminate flowers white; sepals reniform with acute apices, 0.7-1.5 mm long and 1.5-2.1 mm wide; petals ovate. 4.7-6.4 mm long and 2.9-4.2 mm wide; stamens 6(-10), 4.7-7.2 mm long, filaments awlshaped, 4-5.4 mm long, anthers 2.7-4.5 mm long, pistillode minute. Pistillate flowers white, 2-3 per cm; sepals reniform, 1.2-1.9 mm long and 3-4.8 mm wide; petals ovate, 2.9-3.6 mm long; staminode 6- lobed, 2.2-2.9 mm long, free for 0.7-1.2 mm; gynoecium 1.9-3.7 mm long and 1.2-2.5 mm diam.
    Fruits ellipsoid, 11.3-14 mm long, 9.2-11.2 mm dorsiventralthickness, and 8.8-11.1 mm wide; epicarp black, stigmatic scar plain; endocarp spheroid to ellipsoid, hard and durable, 9.1-12.2 mm long, 7-9.2 mm dorsiventral thickness, and 7.4-8.6 mm wide; seed dorsi ventrally compressed spheroid, 7.9-9.9 mm long, 5.6-6.7 mm dorsiventral thickness, and 6.6-7.7 mm wide; raphe circular. Eophyll linear-lanceolate, weakly stipitate or exstipitate, costate. (Zona, S. 1996. Roystonea.(Arecaceae: Arecoideae). Flora Neotropica Monograph 71, 1-35.)A

Materials Examined

  • CUBA. GUANTÁNAMO: Mpio. Baracoa: Baracoa, León 21234 (HAC); Finca Dos Hermanas. León 21233 (HAC); Vega Larga. León 18961 (GH, HAC). León 18598 (GH. HAC). Zona et al. 386 (FLAS, HAJB, RSA); Paso de Cuba. La Ceiba. Zona et al. 388. 389 (FLAS. HAJB. RSA). Mpio. Imías: Imfas. Cooperativa Guajacal. Zona et al. 390. 391. 392 (FLAS. HAJB, RSA). (Zona, S. 1996. Roystonea.(Arecaceae: Arecoideae). Flora Neotropica Monograph 71, 1-35.)A

Bibliography

    A. Zona, S. 1996. Roystonea.(Arecaceae: Arecoideae). Flora Neotropica Monograph 71, 1-35.
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae