Iguanura piahensis

Iguanura (ig-oo-ah-NOOR-ah) piahensis (pee-ah-HEHN-siss)
RIUM, WP Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Iguanura (ig-oo-ah-NOOR-ah) Species: piahensis (pee-ah-HEHN-siss)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Malaya. Perak; Hill forest 300 m alt. Locally not rare.

RIUM, WP Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Description

Caespitose, clustering, stems to 2 m. leaves rnarcescent. sometimes entire, usually dividcd into two or more pairs of lobes but closely spaced along rachis. lamina oblong or elliptical. glabrous, texture papery. smooth and silky to the touch: inflorescence fine and sparsely paniculate four to seven branches or more, with fruit slightly smaller (c. 6mm in diameter) than I. wallichiana. usually light?green, turning cream to yellow, ripening red. (Lim C.K. 1996. Unravelling Iguanura Bl. (Palmae) in Peninsular Malaysia. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 48: 2-64)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

This is yet another species found so far only in a limited location. Where there are contiguous populations of the more gregarious and common I. wallichiana. It is an elegant taxon that can quickly be identified once one ?gets one's eye in?. especially when the oblong entire forms are encountered. Another useful field indicator is the feel of the relatively thin lamina; the nerves are fine and unobtrusive and give rise to the smooth and silky glabrous sheen. Young or juvenile leaves of other taxa can be similar. especially within the I. polymorpha alliance, and conversely some old leaves of the new taxon could be coarser. Fruit colours, in the mort: evidently yellow-cream (not white) stage are reminiscent of I. parvula Becc. (q.v.). Certain herbarium specimens labelled I. wallichiana var. minor display similar inflorescence. but differ in leaf shape. The specimen collected in 1889 by Wray (3628, K) from an unknown location in Perak. is an example that I consider to be this new taxon. Its name is based on the type location which is one of the home districts of the Temiar tribe. (Lim C.K. 1996. Unravelling Iguanura Bl. (Palmae) in Peninsular Malaysia. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 48: 2-64)/Palmweb.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b