Livistona victoriae Rodd, Telopea 8: 123 (1998)

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Northern Territory present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Western Australia present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Australia. Northern Territory and Western Australia. In the region between the Victoria R. basin and Bungle Bungle Ra. (Dowe, J.L.: A taxonomic account of Livistona R.Br. (Arecaceae))A

Habitat

  • Grows in open forest in sandstone gorges, in escarpment gullies and cliff bases and along streams and intermittent watercourses, 50- 320 m alt. Flowers Mar-Dec; fruits Dec-July. (Dowe, J.L.: A taxonomic account of Livistona R.Br. (Arecaceae))A

Discussion

  • Livistona victoriae was described by Rodd (1998) based on a collection from Victoria R. Crossing, Rodd 2934, and named with references to the species occurring in the vicinity of the Victoria R. and also to complete the trio of names of L. alfredii and L. mariae, species named for Queen Victoria's son and daughter-in-law respectively. Previously the palm had informally been known as "Livistona sp. Victoria River" (Jones, 1996). Livistona victoriae is a moderate canopy palm to 17 m tall; leaves are moderate and regularly segmented; segment apices are rigid, and with a bifurcate cleft to 70% of the segment length; the inflorescence is unbranched, not extending beyond the limit of the crown, and with up to nine partial inflorescences; bracts are loosely sheathing; flowers are cream to pale yellow; fruit are globose to ellipsoid, to 15 mm long to 10 mm wide, and dull dark reddish brown to black at maturity. (Dowe, J.L.: A taxonomic account of Livistona R.Br. (Arecaceae))A

Conservation

  • Lower risk, conservation dependent. (Dowe, J.L.: A taxonomic account of Livistona R.Br. (Arecaceae))A

Common Name

  • Victoria River Fan Palm. (Dowe, J.L.: A taxonomic account of Livistona R.Br. (Arecaceae))A

Description

  • Functionally dioecious palm. Trunk to 17 m tall, 15-30 cm dbh, leaf scars narrow, internodes narrow, grey, petiole stubs not persistent. Leaves 25-40 in a globose crown; petiole arching, 80-200 cm long, pruinose, adaxially flat, margins with single, curved, blunt, black thorns, confined to the proximal portion; leaf-base fibres moderately prominent, fine, persistent; lamina costapalmate, regularly segmented, subcircular, 80-100 cm long, coriaceous, adaxially grey green or bluish green, strongly pruinose, dull, abaxially similar; lamina divided for 55-65% of its length, with 40-56 segments, depth of apical cleft 55-70% of the segment length, apical lobes attenuate, rigid; parallel veins 9-11 each side of midrib; transverse veins thinner than parallel veins. Inflorescences unbranched at the base, not sexually dimorphic, 50-150 cm long, not extending beyond the limit of the crown, branched to 4 orders; partial inflorescences 5-9; prophyll not seen; peduncular bract 1; rachis bracts loosely sheathing, fibrous with age, densely tomentose; rachillae 1-3 cm long, glabrous. Flowers solitary or paired, funnel shaped, 2-4 mm long, cream to pale yellow; sepals triangular, 0.7-0.8 mm long, membranous, acute; petals narrowly ovate, 1.2-1.5 mm long, acute; stamens ca 0.9 mm long. Fruit globose to ellipsoid, 8-15 mm long, ca 10 mm diam., dull dark reddish brown to black; epicarp smooth; suture line extends for most of the length of the fruit; mesocarp thin, fibrous; endocarp thin, brittle; pedicel 0.5-1 mm long. Seed globose, ca 9 mm wide. Eophyll 3- ribbed. (Dowe, J.L.: A taxonomic account of Livistona R.Br. (Arecaceae))A

Materials Examined

  • Specimens examined: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia. Kimberleys, 16 km NE of Bungle Bungle Outcamp, 17º13'S, 128º26'E, Kenneally 9212 (PERTH); Bungle Bungle Ra., 3 km SE of Outcamp, Kenneally 9260 (K, PERTH); between Njitparriya and Dilmariyu, 3 km SE of Bungle Bungle Outcamp, 17º21'30"S, 128º21'302E, Forbes 2587 (BRI, MEL); between Njitparriya and Dilmariyu, 3 km SE of Bungle Bungle Outcamp, 17º21'30"S, 128º21'30"E, 320 m alt., Scarlett 315 (MEL); Kimberleys, 15 km SE of Bungle Bungle Outcamp, Piccaninny Ck Gorge, 17º27'S, 128º25'E, Blackwell BB419 (PERTH); Bungle Bungle Ra., gorge off Piccaninny Ck, Briggs 9309 (NSW); Bungle Bungle Ra., Frog Hole Canyon, Briggs 9307 (NSW); Ord R basin, Koford & Dortch 120 (PERTH); East Kimberleys, Carr Boyd Ranges, Cabbage Tree Ck, Rodd 2800 (K, NSW, PERTH); East Kimberleys, Carr Boyd Ranges, Wyndham to Halls Ck Rd, 1978, Hand s.n. (NSW); Thompson Spring, ca 40 km SE of Kununurra, 6 Jun 1979, Ryan s.n. (PERTH, NSW); 7 miles E of Denham R. Stn, Perry 2529 (BRI, CANB, K, MEL, NSW, US); near Lucky Hill, 23 km NNE of Dunham R Stn, Lazarides 8552 (CANB, K, PERTH); Teroni Gorge, 12 miles NNW of Elgie Cliffs Stn, Lazarides 6395 (CANB); Tributary of Keep R., Nov 1978, Lullfitz s.n. (DNA, NSW). Northern Territory. Gregory NP, Victoria R., ca 29 km NW of Bullita Outstn, Duretto 991a with Coles (MEL); Jasper Gorge, Carr & Beauglehole ACB 46741 (DNA, MEL); N side of Jasper Gorge, below sandstone cliffs, McGillivray 3804 with George (DNA, NSW); Jasper Gorge, Parker 1065 (DNA, NSW); Jasper Gorge, 2 km S of Charles Crossing, Dowe 208 (BRI, FTG); Victoria R. Crossing, Katherine- Kununurra Rd, Rodd 2934 (DNA, K, NSW holotype, PERTH); 2 miles E of Victoria R., N of Katherine-Wyndham Rd, Beauglehole 11044 (MEL); ca 3.5 km NE of Victoria R., Carr & Beauglehole ACB 46751 (MEL); Victoria R., Dunlop 3158 (DNA); Victoria R., Yambarran Ra., Leach 4554 with Walsh (BRI, DNA, MEL, NSW); 5 km E of Victoria R. Crossing, Victoria Hwy, Maconochie 2493 (DNA, K, NSW). (Dowe, J.L.: A taxonomic account of Livistona R.Br. (Arecaceae))A

Bibliography

    A. Dowe, J.L.: A taxonomic account of Livistona R.Br. (Arecaceae)
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae