Eremospatha laurentii

Eremospatha (eh-reh-moh-SPAH-thah) laurentii (law-REHN-tee)
Congo, Likouala, Likouala aux Herbres River; c. 4000 upstream from brigde at Matoko, Voucher: Moutsamboté 6145 (E)
Scientific Classification
Genus: Eremospatha (eh-reh-moh-SPAH-thah) Species: laurentii (law-REHN-tee)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Africa
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zaire.

Congo, Likouala, Likouala aux Herbres River; c. 4000 upstream from brigde at Matoko, Voucher: Moutsamboté 6145 (E)

This species occurs predominantly in the lowland forests of the northern Congo Basin. However, intriguingly, there are out-liers of this species found in the forests of Upper Guinea, with a pronounced dis-junction from Ivory Coast to Benin. Eremospatha laurentii is found in both open areas as well as in closed-canopy forest. However, this species responds particularly well to selective logging and is a common component of regrowth vegetation where it occurs.

Description

Clustered robust palm climbing to 30 m long. Stems ± triangular in cross-section, without sheaths, 18-24 mm in diameter, with 25-30 mm; internodes 10-16 cm. Leaf sheath lightly striate, moderately to profusely covered in caducous grey-black indumentum, or indumentum absent; ocrea entire, obliquely truncate, extending for 1-2 cm; knee conspicuous, narrow, linear, 5-8 cm long, rather abrupt at base. Leaves sessile, up to 3m long; rachis 1.2-1.5m long, abaxially rounded, adaxially convex to concave, becoming trapezoid then triangular in cross-section distally, sparse grey indumentum present below, or absent, armed along the margins with robust reflexed, bulbous-based, black-tipped, spines, becoming sparsely armed distally; cirrus 1.2-1.5 m long, unarmed; leaflets up to 30 on each side of the rachis, inequidistant, opposite to sub-opposite, linear-lanceolate to ovate, bluntly contracted at the base, very finely acuminate at apex, with apex often breaking off giving slightly blunt appearance, 22-38 cm long × 2.8-3.8 cm broad at the widest point, concolorous, armed along the margins with slender to robust black-tipped yellow spines, with about 6 moderately conspicuous transverse veinlets 1-2 mm apart; lowermost leaflets, smaller than the rest, linear, strap-like, armed along the margins with robust bulbous-based black-tipped yellow to orange spines, laxly swept back across, or tightly clasping stem; acanthophylls 3-4 cm long. Inflorescence glabrous, 24-32 cm long; peduncle 10-15 cm long, somewhat flattened in cross-section; rachis 12-17 cm long, erect, arching; rachillae distichous 8-10 on each side, 5-16 cm long, decreasing distally, adnate to the inflorescence axis for 3-5 mm; rachis bracts, acuminate, <4 mm long, decreasing distally; flower cluster subtended by <1.0 mm. long incomplete bracts. Flowers borne in close pairs; calyx 4 mm long × 5 mm wide at the mouth, with 3 rounded, striate, 1.5-mm long lobes; corolla 7-9 mm × 3-4 mm, divided to ¼ of its length; stamens united into 4 mm-long epipetalous ring, free filaments <0.1 mm, anthers <0.5 mm; ovary 1 mm × 1.5 mm, tipped by 1 mm long style. Fruit at maturity, 1-seeded, globose or cylindrical, 1.6-2.2 cm long × 1.7-2 cm wide, with 18-22 vertical rows of scales. Seed ± compressed, 1-1.2 cm long × 0.8-1 cm wide × 0.6-0.8 cm thick, rounded on one side, embryo lateral, raised into conspicuous 1.5 mm-long stalk-like organ (T.C.H Sunderland, A taxonomic revision of the rattans of Africa (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) in Phytotaxa 51. 2012)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: Specific epithet in honor of Marcel Laurent (1879?1924), Belgian botanist.