Calyptrocalyx multifidus

Calyptrocalyx (kah-lip-troh-KAH-liks) multifidus (muhl-tih-FEE-duhs)
NSW, Australia. Photo by Luke Nancarrow.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Calyptrocalyx (kah-lip-troh-KAH-liks) Species: multifidus (muhl-tih-FEE-duhs)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Oceania
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Puah (Bahasa Maibrat - Sorong Division).

Habitat and Distribution

New Guinea. Indonesia: Papua: Sorong and Manokwari Divisions. In rain

Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, Pattaya, Thailand. Photo by Cindy Adair.

forest at 0-500 m altitude.

Description

Clustering, small palms. Stems 2-5,1-2 m tall, 8-40 mm in diam.; internodes 2-4 cm long, dark green. Leaves irregularly segmented or regularly pinnate, 70-125 cm long, new leaf emerges bronze red; leafbase 8-35 cm long, dark green, glabrous, swollen at the base, margins densely lacerate-fibrous; petiole 0.5 -19 cm by 3-10 mm, adaxially channelled, glabrous; pinnae of regularly pinnate leaf 4-18 per-side, alternate, opposite or sub-opposite, placed up to 20 cm apart, lanceolate, widest above the middle, narrowing toward the base, apically acuminate, caudate, dark green adaxially, slightly lighter abaxially, reddish brown ramenta on ribs abaxially; lower pinnae shortest, apical pinnae longest; midleafpinnae 20-60 by 10-25 cm, chartaceous; midrib prominent, but strong secondary veins present, marginal veins thicker than secondary veins; lower pinnae to 16 cm long, 12 mm wide; irregularly segmented leaf with pinnae united, one side of leaf all united or with irregular intervals between groups of united pinnae. Inflorescence 40-105 cm long, I-spiked, erect, rigid; prophyll l5-28 cm by 14-25 mm, gla brous, apices acute; peduncular bract 30-40 cm by 13 mm, glabrous to densely tomentose; peduncle 20-85 cm by 2-6 mm, subterete, densely scaly; rameal bracts present in proximal portion of the peduncle; rachilla 10-28 cm by 4-9 mm, fusiform, densely scaly; floral pits very deep, bracts not prominent, margins not raised. Flowers cream, congested, becoming more wider spaced proximally. Staminateflower 4-4.5 mm long; sepals about 2 mm long, acutely ridged, margins smooth, broadly triangular, acute; petals about 4 mm long, lanceolate to obtuse, triangular, with many nerves; stamens 8-10, unequal in length; filaments about 4 mm long; anthers short, shallowly sagittate-cordate, versatile, cream; pistillode about 4 mm long, filiform. Pistillate flower 4 mm long, ovoid; stigma large, papillose. Fruit ellipsoid, 10-16 mm long, 10-12 mm in diam., red; epicarp smooth, finely granular when dry; stigmatic remains apical; mesocarp moderately fibrous, mealy, orange, fibres congested toward the endocarp, fibres anastomosing; endocarp membranous, separated from the seed. Seed globose to ellipsoid, about 11 mm long, about 7 mm in diam.; raphe longitudinal, briefly attached; endosperm homogeneous. (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: The specific epithet is from the Latin for; multi - many, and fidus - cleft, and refers to the numerous pinnae of the leaf.

Notes - 1. Calyptrocalyx multifidus is distinguished by a clustering habit, irregularly segmented or regularly pinnate leaves, robust solitary-spiked inflorescence, ellipsoid fruit and homogeneous endosperm. 2. Staminate flowers have a citrus odour. 3. Variation in leaf segmentation is not truly reflected in the specific epithet multifidus. Leaves can be irregularly segmented or regularly pinnate. The 'multifida' form is but one extreme within the range of variation. (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)