Roscheria melanochaetes

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Seychelles.

Roscheria (ross-KER-ee-uh) melanochaetes (meh-lah-noh-KAY-tehs)

Multi-fold Segments. Mah, Seychelles. Photo by Dr, John Dransfield, edric.

Scientific Classification

Genus:	Roscheria (ross-KER-ee-uh)
Species:	melanochaetes (meh-lah-noh-KAY-tehs)

Synonyms

Verschaffeltia melanochaetes

Native Continent

Africa

Morphology

Habit:	Solitary
Leaf type:	pinnate
Height:	25 ft./8 m.
Trunk diameter:	3 in./8 cm.

Culture

Survivability index

Common names

Latanier Hauban, Latanier Palm

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Roscheria melanochaetes is a slow growing palm, the trunk reaches 8 m in height at 8 cm in diameter, usually straight, featuring distinctive rings near the crown. The trunks exhibit rings of black spines at each stem node, but this feature is most pronounced in young plants; as the plants age they grow fewer and fewer trunk spines, or none at all. Spines are also present on the crownshaft and petioles and these persist into maturity. The crownshaft is 3 m tall, light green in color, covered in brown scales, especially nearing the top. The crownshaft bulges in its center and holds 12-16 pinnate leaves, 1-2 m long on 15-20 cm petioles. The leaves are distinct in that the individual leaflets exhibit enormous variation; some have a single rib while others have several, some are broad, some are narrow, some have pointed apices while others are obliquely truncated. The leaves are light to bright green on top and dull green to brown underneath; but for the bifid apices, juvenile leaves are undivided and pink to red in color. Unlike most crownshafted species, the inflorescence in R. melanochaetes emerges from the leaf axil rather than beneath the shaft. The much branched panicle is 1-2 m with unisexual flowers of both sexes. Fruit matures to a 1 cm red drupe with one seed. Editing by edric.

Culture

These plants will not tolerate drought or cold. Growing naturally in rain forest understory, they also require shade when young, as well as moist, humus rich soil. These particulars usually make the plant difficult to cultivate, even in tropical areas.

Comments and Curiosities

This is a monotypic genus.

Etymology: Named for Albrecht Roscher, 19th-century German explorer, and the epithet for its single species R. melanochaetes derives from Latin and Greek meaning 'black' and 'bristle', alluding to the spines covering the trunks.

Conservation: Roscheria is an endangered genus.

"Very attractive species from the Seychelles islands with spines (on young palms only) and irregularly split, wide leafltets on sparse arching 5-6 ft. leaves. This is a very tropical palm being marginal in zone 10b. Very unusual looking, too, in it's leaf formation. Very slow grower. I have tried it, stupidly listening to a local 'expert', and it died at about 40F... no way it could survive in So CAl." (Geoff Stein), edric.

External Links

References

Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos, edric.

Special thanks to palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos, edric.

IMAGE GALLERY
Fairchild Botanical Gardens, FL.	Juvenile plant - Kona, Hawaii.	Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Garden, edric.	Mont Jasmin, Mah, Seychelles. Photo by Dr, John Dransfield, edric.
Multi-fold Segments. Mah, Seychelles. Photo by Dr, John Dransfield, edric.	Palm House, RBG Kew, UK. Photo by Dr, William J. Baker, edric.	Mah, Seychelles. Photo by Dr, John Dransfield, edric.	Mah, Seychelles. Photo by Dr, John Dransfield, edric.
Thailand. Photo by Philippe Alvarez, edric.	Hawaii. Photo by Geoff Stein, edric.	Hawaii. Photo by Geoff Stein, edric.	Hawaii. Photo by Geoff Stein, edric.
Hawaii. Photo by Geoff Stein, edric.	Hawaii. Photo by Geoff Stein, edric.	Hawaii. Photo by Geoff Stein, edric.	Nong Nooch Botanical Garden, Thailand. Photo by Geoff Stein, edric.
Photo by Mike Gray, edric.	Photo by Mike Gray, edric.	Praslin Island, Seychelles. Photo by Foto-Rimmele, edric.	Praslin Island, Seychelles. Photo by Foto-Rimmele, edric.
Praslin Island, Seychelles. Photo by Foto-Rimmele, edric.	Praslin Island, Seychelles. Photo by Foto-Rimmele, edric.	Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, edric.	Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, edric.
Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, edric.	Seychelles.