Iguanura perdana

Iguanura (ig-oo-ah-NOOR-ah) perdana (pehr-DAHN-ah)
Nong Nooch Tropical Botanic Gardens, Pattaya, Thailand. Photo by Timothy Brian.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Iguanura (ig-oo-ah-NOOR-ah) Species: perdana (pehr-DAHN-ah)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Usually solitary Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Malaya. Perak; damp hill slopes, alt. 500 m. elev.

Nong Nooch Tropical Botanic Gardens, Pattaya, Thailand. Photo by Timothy Brian.

Description

Usually solitary, rarely with basal branches, stilt-rooted, stem greyish brown. erect, 1.8 cm diam.. robust. erect, to 4.5 m; internodes 4-5 cm, leaves abscissing, large 100 cm x 50 cm. pinnate with two forms of leaflets. few (six pairs) broadly flaring distally or numerous (15-17 pairs) narrowly parallel-sided, petiole 20 cm, leaf sheath 29 cm, green with brown indumentum: often persisting in inflorescence thereby remaining interfoliar, rachillae stout. succulent, nine to ten branches, to 45 cm long with 30 cm peduncle: flowers widely spaced, relatively large; fruit (only one seen to date). unripe yellow, pink, like I. bicornis but eccentric, with flat top. not two-lobed. (Lim C.K. 1996. Unravelling Iguanura Bl. (Palmae) in Peninsular Malaysia. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 48: 2-64)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

This tantalizing taxon needs to be described and recorded even if somewhat incompletely. in view of its rarity; we have only found less than ten plants in one threatened locality. Although it is within a Forest Reserve, adjacent felling and land schemes may affect its survival. It grows sympatrically. with the common I. bicornis and the new I. wallichiana var. rosea. The very large leaves are a third to twice the size of thc adjacent I. bicornis. usually trapezoidal. but another pinnate form has been seen with parallel-sided leaflets. The inflorescences are signally different. lingering (perhaps because of size) among the leaf sheaths, which are of the abscissing type, leaving clean scars. but are more fibrous, and appear to persist in support of the stout but gangling rachillae. The unique fruit collected was somewhat like a dirty tooth. irregular but not bigibbous. This sampling is incomplete. but other characteristics set this taxon apart not only from I. bicornis and I. polytmorpha but also from I. belumensis. The population is certainly not sterile. as seedlings and the one tantalizingly solitary fruit collected prove. It is indeed an imposing erect taxon. and the epithet, which means prime (in Malay). alludes at attributes which n?leader prirtrus inter pares, should have. (Lim C.K. 1996. Unravelling Iguanura Bl. (Palmae) in Peninsular Malaysia. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 48: 2-64)/Palmweb.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: The specific epithet is Malay for the word prime.