Pinanga capitata
| Pinanga (pih-NAHN-gah) capitata (kah-pih-TAH-tah) | |||||||
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 Kamborangah, Sabah, Malaysia. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb. | |||||||
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Contents
Habitat and Distribution
Borneo.
Description
Clustering montane monoecious unarmed pinnate palm with stems rarely exceeding 2 m long. Stem to 2-5 cm diam. with internodes to 10 cm long, the stem surface densely covered with dark red-brown to blackish scales. Crownshaft only slightly swollen, to 70 cm long, 2-5 cm wide near the base. Leaf sheaths dull greenish-brown, densely covered with dark red-brown to blackish scales. Leaves about 6-8 in crown, to 1 m long in well-grown mature individuals, shorter in exposed individuals, occasionally up to 2 m long in rosette stages of juvenile; petiole to 40 x 0-5 cm, densely covered with silvery and dull reddish-brown scales; leaflets 7-12 on each side of the rachis, rather irregularly arranged and reflexed in the proximal part of the leaf, regular and opposite and divaricate in the distal part, with 1-2 folds; proximal leaflets longer than distal, 25-30 x 0-7-2 cm, the distal leaflets occasionally much smaller, the leaflets frequently constricted at the insertion on the rachis; bifid scales sometimes present on the main veins, on abaxial surface; abaxial surface of lamina also densely covered with minute scales and papillae. Inflorescence erect or pendulous, with spreading branches; peduncle to 2 cm long, 5 mm wide near the base; rachillae to 8 in number, 7.5 x 0-3 cm, somewhat flattened, glabrous, bearing distichously arranged flower groups up to 5 mm distant. Staminate flowers not known. Post anthesis pistillate flower with 3 imbricate, shortly apiculate, minutely ciliate, rounded sepals to 2 mm long; corolla with 3 petals similar to the sepals; ovary to 2 mm, oblong, tipped with an irregular, convoluted stigma. Rachillae turning reddish at fruit maturity. Mature fruit purplish-black, to 12 x 7 mm, tipped with the eroded stigmatic remains, with very thin pericarp with a poorly developed fibrous layer. Seed to 10 x 5 mm. Endo- sperm deeply ruminate. Embryo sub-basal. (J. Dransfield. 1980)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.
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I have long been puzzled by the polymorphism of the large montane Bornean species of Pinanga which bear inflorescences with many branches. In the G. Mulu National Park, two superficially very distinct taxa belonging to this form of Pinanga grow side by side in upper montane forest on the ridge of G. Mulu itself. One of the two taxa bears leaves with leaflets diverging from the rachis at an acute angle, with the terminal compound pair of leaflets joined along part of their length; the other taxon is strikingly different, bearing leaflets which diverge at right or obtuse angles, with the two terminal leaflets strictly opposite and divaricate, not joined together. I have seen very few specimens of this second taxon; a photograph in Florence herbarium, which appears to be of a leaf of this taxon from a collection by Lobb from Borneo, is annotated 'Nenga? divaricata Becc.' and 'Gigliolia?' by Beccari, and 'Certainly not Gigliolia insignis, pinnae with 2-3 primary nerves. Probably Kentiae, genus quid?' by H. E. Moore. Since this collection by Lobb, a few collections have been made in the 4th and 5th Divisions of Sarawak and in Brunei. This small range of specimens has allowed me to build up some conception of the variation of the divaricate Pinanga. The non-divaricate leafleted Pinanga appears to be similar to species described from Kinabalu, in particular four species, two described by Beccari and two by Furtado. P. capitata Becc. ex Gibbs is based on a collec- tion of a high altitude pinang with a rather congested crownshaft; P. clemensii Furtado is also based on a high altitude pinang, but without the congested crownshaft. The inflorescences of these two taxa are almost indistinguishable; similarly the leaves differ only in size and I am sure these two taxa are conspecific. P. capitata is probably a particularly exposed form of the other taxon. Many other collections from the upper reaches of Kinabalu suggest that P. capitata is a common constituent of upper montane forest. P. gibbsiana Becc. and P. dallasensis Furtado were both based on collections from the lower slopes of Kinabalu, and represent much more robust plants with much larger inflorescences, the former having distichously arranged flower groups, the latter with spirally arranged flower groups. Superficially, these two taxa appear to be very closely related, if not conspecific; the apparently rather precise difference in arrangement of flower groups which was used by Beccari to delimit sections of the genus, is known in other species to be un- reliable. (Thus in Pinanga latisecta and Pinanga variegata var. hallieriana, flower arrangement may be spiral or distichous, and mixed inflorescences even occur.) The two Kinabalu taxa are also closely related to P. capitata. Unfortunately it has not been possible to ascertain whether there is one very variable species with a wide altitudinal range or two species, one on the lower slopes, one on the upper slopes; this requires field work on Kinabalu. However in using P. capitata for naming the ridge top plant from Mulu, I am certain there is no earlier name. The inflorescence of the divaricate leafleted Pinanga from G. Mulu is also indistinguishable from that of P. capitata; I have examined very carefully details of flowers and fruit and they are identical, and similarly textural and indumentum features of the stem, sheath and lamina are the same. Yet the leaflet arrangement is strikingly different. That this leaflet difference is the only difference between the two plants suggests that the divaricate leafleted species should be regarded as a variety of P. capitata. (J. Dransfield. 1980)/Palmweb. |
Culture
Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b
Comments and Curiosities
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There are two subspecies: 1.) Pinanga capitata var. capitata. Borneo. "A smallish palm with slender, solitary or clustering trunks to about 5 m (17 ft.) tall. A small crownshaft holds a sparse crown of somewhat wispy leaves with about 16 pairs of unusually thick and leathery, dull green leaflets. The terminal pair on each side of the midrib is usually joined together and not smaller than the rest of the leaflets, giving the leaf an odd, square shape. It is native to the understory of montane rainforests above 800 m (2600 ft.) on the island of Borneo. On Mount Kinabalu it reaches altitudes of 3000 m (9800 ft.), perhaps the highest for any palm (excepting Calamus gibbsianus) in Asia. It will thrive in conditions suitable for Ceroxylon and some high altitude Geonoma from South America, but it can also be grown in all but the hottest tropical climates. It will succeed best where it can be afforded a protected position out of wind and too much sun. It is common enough in parts of Borneo that the leaves are sometimes used as thatch, a practice that requires a large amount of these fairly small leaves. The palm heart is reportedly also eaten in soup. Despite being rather common in the wild, Pinanga capitata is quite rare in cultivation, perhaps, in part, because its tolerance of cool conditions is virtually unknown." (RPS.com) 2.) Pinanga capitata var. divaricata. Borneo. Description: Clustering montane monoecious unarmed pinnate palm with stems rarely exceeding 2 m long. Stem to 2.5 cm diam. with internodes to 10 cm long, the stem surface densely covered with dark red-brown to blackish scales. Crownshaft only slightly swollen, to 70 cm long, 2.5 cm wide near the base. Leaf sheaths dull greenish-brown, densely covered with dark red-brown to blackish scales. Leaves about 6-8 in crown, to 1 m long in well-grown mature individuals, shorter in exposed individuals, occasionally up to 2 m long in rosette stages of juvenile; petiole to 40 x 0.5 cm, densely covered with silvery and dull reddish-brown scales; leaflets 7-12 on each side of the rachis, rather irregularly arranged and reflexed in the proximal part of the leaf, regular and opposite and divaricate in the distal part, with 1-2 folds; proximal leaflets longer than distal, 25-30 x 0.7-2 cm, the distal leaflets occasionally much smaller, the leaflets frequently constricted at the insertion on the rachis; bifid scales sometimes present on the main veins, on abaxial surface; abaxial surface of lamina also densely covered with minute scales and papillae. Inflorescence erect or pendulous, with spreading branches; peduncle to 2 cm long, 5 mm wide near the base; rachillae to 8 in number, 7.5 x 0.3 cm, somewhat flattened, glabrous, bearing distichously arranged flower groups up to 5 mm distant. Staminate flowers not known. Post anthesis pistillate flower with 3 imbricate, shortly apiculate, minutely ciliate, rounded sepals to 2 mm long; corolla with 3 petals similar to the sepals; ovary to 2 mm, oblong, tipped with an irregular, convoluted stigma. Rachillae turning reddish at fruit maturity. Mature fruit purplish-black, to 12 x 7 mm, tipped with the eroded stigmatic remains, with very thin pericarp with a poorly developed fibrous layer. Seed to 10 x 5 mm. Endosperm deeply ruminate. Embryo sub-basal. (J. Dransfield. 1980)/Palmweb. |
- IMAGE GALLERY
Kamborangah, Sabah, Malaysia. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Kamborangah, Sabah, Malaysia. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Kinabalu Park HQ, Sabah, Malaysia. Photo by Dr. John Beaman, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Kinabalu Park HQ, Sabah, Malaysia. "With sucker shoots" Photo by Dr. John Beaman, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
"Small, clumping palm. There are two main varieties, var capitata, which has its leaflets attached to the rhachis at an acute angle, and the terminal pair of leaflets joined for part of their length, and var. divaricata, which has the leaflets attached at right angles, and the terminal pair aren't joined at all." (Rudy Meyer) var. divaricata in photo. Photo by Rudy Meyer, www.palmseeds.com.au
"Small, clumping palm. There are two main varieties, var capitata, which has its leaflets attached to the rhachis at an acute angle, and the terminal pair of leaflets joined for part of their length, and var. divaricata, which has the leaflets attached at right angles, and the terminal pair aren't joined at all." (Rudy Meyer) var. divaricata in photo. Photo by Rudy Meyer, www.palmseeds.com.au
Borneo. 2004. Photo by Clive Lundquist
var. capitata. Photo-Rare Palm Seeds.com
var. capitata. Photo-Rare Palm Seeds.com
var. capitata. Photo by Clayton York, Utopia Palms & Cycads
Borneo. Points of light denote location of species, but may not reflect entire population. (edric)
External Links
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).
Dransfield, J. 1980. Systematic Notes on Pinanga (Palmae) in Borneo. Kew Bulletin, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 769-788.
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.
