Orania zonae

Orania (oh-rahn-EE-ah) zonae (ZOHN-eh)
Nuni, Manokwari, Papua Barat, Indonesia. 16 Aug 1995. from slide. Photo by Dr. Scott Zona.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Orania (oh-rahn-EE-ah) Species: zonae (ZOHN-eh)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Oceania
Morphology
Habit: Solitary Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Motuaga (Meyah language).

Habitat and Distribution

New Guinea. Endemic to an area near the Asai River in the district of Manokwari -

Nuni, Manokwari, Papua Barat, Indonesia. 16 Aug 1995. from slide. Photo by Dr. Scott Zona.

formerly Vogelkop in the Indonesian province of Papua Barat. Undisturbed lowland forest on limestone hill with elevation about 165 m above sea level. (A.P. Keim and J. Dransfield. 2012)/Palmweb.

Description

Large palm. Trunk 20 m tall, about 27.2 cm in diam. breast high. Leaves 12 in the crown, spirally arranged, about 4.3 m long; leaf-sheath about 45 cm long, 7 - 8 cm wide, margins disintegrating into fibres, curly, about 20 cm long, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface with red-brown tomentum; petiole about 2 m long, with red-brown tomentum, margins massively disintegrating into a dense fibrous mass; rachis about 1.85 m long, about 3 cm in diam. in the middle, with red-brown tomentum; leaflets elongate-lanceolate, 61 pairs totally, regularly arranged leaflets held in one plane, leaflets about 9 cm distant, about 1.47 - 1.9 m long, 8.5 - 11 cm wide, adaxial surface glabrous, with thin red-brown tomentum on midrib, midrib robust, other ribs less robust; abaxial surface with dense white indumentum, dense red-brown tomentum on the margin, thin on the midrib, midrib robust, other ribs less thick than adaxial. Inflorescence spreading, robust, branching to 2 orders; prophyll persistent, c. 83.5 - 85 cm long, 12 cm wide, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface with dense red-brown tomentum, massively disintegrating into fibres when old; peduncle with dense red-brown tomentum; peduncular bract one, woody, persistent, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial surface densely covered with red-brown tomentum, about 1.4 m long, splitting in the middle, disintegrating into fibres when old; rachis about 2 - 3 cm in diam., with dense red-brown tomentum; first order branches about 109 - 110 cm long; rachillae thick, about 45 - 50 cm long, bearing 90 - 100 flower clusters, bearing triads in the proximal 3=5, the basal about 2 cm devoid of flowers, triads about 1 cm distant. Staminate flowers white; with calyx of 3 united minute sepals; corolla with 3 free petals, 3 × 2 mm; stamens 6, 9 or 12, filaments united, dark-brown, about 0.5 mm long, anthers elongate-lanceolate, pale creamy yellow, about 1 mm long, in stamens 6 or 9 anthers free, in stamens 12 anthers united in 6 pairs; pistillodes absent. Pistillate flowers white; with calyx of 3 united minute sepals; corolla with 3 free petals, about 4 × 3.5 mm; staminodes 6, about 1.5 mm long; gynoecium dark-brown, about 3 mm long, stigma of 3 elongate lobes, about 1 mm long, brighter coloured. Fruits globose or bilobed, about 4.0 cm in diam., dull green when young, red when mature (Zona 1995 pers. comm.). Embryo placed below middle line of seed. Eophyll bifid. (A.P. Keim and J. Dransfield. 2012)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

An attempt had been made to recollect this species from the type locality in 1999, without success. (A.P. Keim and J. Dransfield. 2012)/Palmweb.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: Genus name; Honors the early 19th century Crown Prince of the Netherlands, F.G.L. Willem van Nassau, Prince of Orange. Species name; After Scott Zona, American palm taxonomist and collector of the type specimen.

Conservation: This palm is known only from its type. APK searched for it but without success. (A.P. Keim and J. Dransfield. 2012)/Palmweb.