Chrysalidocarpus pumilus

Chrysalidocarpus pumilus (poo-MEE-luh)
Marojejy National Park. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Chrysalidocarpus Species: pumilus (poo-MEE-luh)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Africa
Morphology
Habit: Solitary Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Madagascar. NE Madagascar, only known from the Marojejy Mts. A species from high mountains in

Marojejy National Park. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

the north; the specific name means 'dwarf', and refers to the habit: in this case short and stocky rather than the 'tiny' it often means. This species holds the altitude record for Madagascar palms as it occurs at a higher elevation than any other. On gneiss and quartzite, in ericoid vegetation or montane forest, also in high altitude swamp; 1500-2100 m.

Description

Dwarf palm 0.3-1 m, apparently solitary. STEM erect or procumbent, 2.2-7 cm in diam., internodes 2-5 mm distally. LEAVES 3-4 per crown; sheath 11-19 cm long, about 2 cm in diam., waxy and distally densely scaly, without auricles but with square shoulders; petiole absent or up to 4 cm, 7-11 x 4-8 mm in diam., densely scaly; rachis 26-47 cm, densely scaly; leaflets regular, 19-21 on each side of the rachis, the proximal 11-18 x 0.3-1.2 cm, median 13-20 x 1-2.1 cm (interval 0.8-2 cm), distal 2.5-9 x 0.2-1 cm, apices attenuate, not bifid, main vein 1-3, as well as thickened margins, few to many small scales on midrib and margins abaxially, with a few scales on the proximal midrib adaxially. INFLORESCENCE infrafoliar, branching to 1 order; peduncle 7-16 cm, 4-8 mm in diam.; prophyll dark green, 17-24 cm long, borne at 2.8-8 cm above the base of the peduncle, 3-3.5 cm wide, the distal half open; peduncular bract inserted at 4.5-12.2 cm, 10-15 x 3.6 cm, open, with scattered small scales; rachis 3-5 cm long, glabrous, with 9 rachillae (always?); rachillae 6-10 cm long, 1.5-3 mm in diam., glabrous, the triads distant, sunk in pits; rachilla bracts acute, entire. STAMINATE FLOWERS with sepals 2.3-3.9 x 1.8-3.2 mm, ovate or elliptic, proximally slightly gibbous, keeled, with membranous margins, acute or obtuse, entire; receptacle 1.8-2 mm high; petals 3-5.8 x 2.6-3.6 mm, ovate or elliptic, striate, acute; stamens 6, uni- or biseriate, filaments 2.8-5 x 0.7-1 mm, flat, anthers 1.4-1.8 x 0.8-1 mm, dorsifixed, versatile, the locules slightly diverging proximally, obtuse; pistillode c. 1.8-3 x 0.7-1 mm. PISTILLATE FLOWERS with sepals 2.6-3.2 x 1.7-3.3 mm (to 4.7 mm wide in fruit), (broadly) ovate, concave, acute; petals (in bud) imbricate with a minute valvate apex, broadly ovate, 2.2-2.8 x 1.8-2.2 mm, or (in fruit) white and reddish, 4.2-4.8 x 5-5.5 mm; staminodes (four seen) flat, up to 0.6 mm high; gynoecium c. 2.2 x 1.5 mm. FRUIT subglobose to slightly obovoid, 17-26 x 12-20 mm, pointed at the base, rounded at the apex; endocarp fibrous, but not adhering to the seed. SEED slightly obovoid, 16-17 x 13-14 mm, pointed at the base, rounded at the apex, with a faint subequatorial depression; endosperm ruminate with many intrusions, 2- 6 mm deep. (J. Dransfield & H. Beentje, The Palms of Madagascar. 1995)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

This species is near D. heteromorphus but is solitary, much shorter, has a shorter sheath, smaller leaves, and the inflorescence branches to only one order; it is also near D. acuminum but is distinct by its ruminate endosperm and shorter sheath. (J. Dransfield & H. Beentje, The Palms of Madagascar. 1995)/Palmweb.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a