Pinanga declinata

Pinanga (pih-NAHN-gah) declinata (dehk-lih-NAH-tah)
2015 Vietnam. Photo by Stephen Villiers.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Pinanga (pih-NAHN-gah) Species: declinata (dehk-lih-NAH-tah)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Cau chuot, cao cuo chuoc, cau rung

Habitat and Distribution

Endemic to southcentral Vietnam in Dak Lac, Khanh Hoa, Kon Tum, Lam Dong, and Ninh

2014 Vietnam. Photo by Stephen Villiers.

Understory in primary, broad-leaved, montane forest, or pine forest, at 1100-1900 m.

Description

Stems clustered, to 5 m tall, 3-5.5 cm in diameter, densely covered with reddish-brown scales. Leaves 5-7 in a crown; sheaths closed, forming crownshafts, 43-57 cm long, yellowish with reddish-brown scales; petioles 19-52 cm long, yellowish; rachis 105-111 cm long; pinnae linear, contracted at the bases, 20-21 per side of rachis, middle pinna 38-69 cm long, 3.5-5 cm wide at the middle, apical pinna 6.5-21 cm long, 3.5-5 cm wide at the middle, lobed; veins prominent adaxially. Inflorescences infrafoliar, spreading; peduncles 2.5-3 cm long, 0.5-1 wide; prophylls 14-17 cm long; rachis 3.5-4 cm long; rachillae 4-8, 15-22 cm long, glabrous, triangular in cross-section, with one flat surface with no triads, the triads arranged along the other two surfaces; triads distichously arranged, occasionally spirally arranged; staminate flowers not known; pistillate flowers 2 mm long; sepals 3, 2 mm long, imbricate, the margins ciliate, acuminate; petals 3, 2 mm long, imbricate, the margins ciliate, not acuminate; ovary 2.5 mm long; fruits 1.5-2 cm long, 0.5-0.7 cm in diameter, narrowly ellipsoid, color unknown; endosperm ruminate. (Henderson, A., Khac Ban, N. and Quoc Dung, N. 2008. New Species of Pinanga (Palmae) from Vietnam. Palms 52 (2): 63-69)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

Pinanga specimens from south-central Vietnam were identified as Pinanga duperreana Pierre by both Magalon (1930) and Gagnepain and Conrard (1937). This name is now regarded as a synonym of the widespread P. sylvestris (Lour.) Hodel, which occurs in Cambodia, China, India, Myanmar, Lao, and Thailand. Pinanga declinata is similar to P. sylvestris but differs in its yellow (versus green) sheaths and petioles and pinnae which are strongly contracted at the bases. It can be distinguished from the similar P. annamensis by its 20-21 linear (versus 8-12 falcate) pinnae which are contracted at the bases (versus not contracted), and spreading (versus pendulous) rachillae. (Henderson, A., Khac Ban, N. and Quoc Dung, N. 2008. New Species of Pinanga (Palmae) from Vietnam. Palms 52 (2): 63-69)/Palmweb.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b