Orania parva
Orania (oh-rahn-EE-ah) parva (PAHR-vah) | |||||||
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Photo by Dr. by Frederick B. Essig. | |||||||
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Contents
Habitat and Distribution
New Guinea. In Papua New Guinea known only from the type locality, with a number of individuals seen (Essig 1980). Orania parva grows on well-drained slopes at about 60 m above sea level.Description
Small palm. Trunk 4 m tall, about 8 cm in diam. (dbh) diameter breast high. Leaves spirally arranged, 200 - 204 cm long; petiole about 2 cm in diam., with dense red-brown tomentum; rachis about 2 cm in diam., with dense red-brown tomentum; leaflets regularly arranged, held in one plane, 23 leaflets on each side of rachis, about 90 - 106 cm long, 5.5 - 6 cm wide, about 8 - 13 cm distant, adaxial surface green, glabrous, with red-brown tomentum on the midrib and some of the other ribs, midrib thick, others slender, abaxial surface densely covered with white indumentum, red-brown tomentum on every rib and conspicuously on the base of leaflets, midrib slender. Inflorescence spreading, branching to 1 order, about 1.18 m (118 cm) long; prophyll persistent, about 38.5 cm long, 3.5 - 3.6 cm wide, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface with redbrown tomentum; peduncle about 81 cm long, glabrous; peduncular bract one, about 128 - 130 cm long, 3 - 3.8 cm wide, persistent, woody, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface densely covered with red-brown tomentum, splitting in the middle, from top to the base, heavily disintegrating into fibres when old; rachis about 37 cm long; rachillae slender, 8 - 10, about 35 - 36 cm long each, bearing 120 - 128 flower clusters, bearing triads arranged in the proximal half part, the basal about 3.5 cm devoid of flowers, triads about 1 - 1.5 cm distant, rachilla glabrous. Staminate flowers creamy white, with calyx of 3 united sepals, about 2 - 3 mm long; corolla with 3 free petals, about 5 - 8 mm long, 2 mm wide; stamens 6, 5 mm long, filaments always free, dark-brown, about 2 mm long, anthers elongate-lanceolate, pale yellow, about 3 mm long; pistillodes absent. Pistillate flowers creamy white, with calyx of 3 sepals, about 2 - 2.5 mm long; corolla with 3 free petals, about 6 - 7 mm long, 3 - 4 mm wide; staminodes 6, uniform, about 0.7 - 1 mm long; gynoecium dark brown, about 2 - 4 mm long, 2 - 3 mm wide, stigma with 3 elongate lobes. Fruits globose or bilobed, about 1.3 cm in diam. when young. Embryo placed below middle line of seed. Eophyll bifid. (A.P. Keim & J. Dransfield, A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae) in Kew Bulletin 67. 2012)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.
Orania parva is the smallest member of the genus. This is a beautiful small palm with a simply branching inflorescence and a very long peduncle. Essig (1980) mentioned that it often flowers within arm's reach and although only the type collection was made, a number of individuals were seen in the surrounding area and agreed well with the type. (A.P. Keim & J. Dransfield, A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae) in Kew Bulletin 67. 2012)/Palmweb.
Culture
Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b
Comments and Curiosities
Etymology: From the Latin, parvus - literally; small.
Conservation: Data deficient (DD). The palm is known only from its type and we have no recent information on the status of forests in the type locality. (A.P. Keim & J. Dransfield, A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae) in Kew Bulletin 67. 2012)/Palmweb.
External Links
- Glossary of Palm Terms
- MODERN BOTANICAL LATIN
- "Just To Be Clear"
- http://wildflowerquest.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html
References
Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.
Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos.
Special thanks to Palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos.
Glossary of Palm Terms; Based on the glossary in Dransfield, J., N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen-Lange, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis. 2008. Genera Palmarum - Evolution and Classification of the Palms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. All images copyright of the artists and photographers (see images for credits).
A.P. Keim & J. Dransfield, A monograph of the genus Orania (Arecaceae: Oranieae) in Kew Bulletin 67. 2012
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.