Hydriastele variabilis

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Hydriastele (high-dree-Ah-STEL-eh)
variabilis (vahr-ee-ah-BIHL-liss)
Hv51232134554.JPG
Hydriastele variabilis. A–B. Habit. C. Inflorescences with pistillate flowers. D. Infructescence with immature fruit. A, C from Gardiner 424; B, D from Aifat, Bird’s Head Peninsula, western New Guinea. Phytotaxa 370 (1) © 2018 Magnolia Press.Photos A, C: W.J. Baker; B, D: C.D. Heatubun.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Hydriastele (high-dree-Ah-STEL-eh)
Species:
variabilis (vahr-ee-ah-BIHL-liss)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Oceania
Oceania.gif
Morphology
Habit: Soboliferous (clustering)
Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Sagarofa (Sumuri), Pinang Oetan (Malay).

Habitat and Distribution

New Guinea. Distribution:—Northern Bird’s Head Peninsula and the adjacent Bomberai Peninsula in West Papua Province, western New Guinea. Habitat:—Primary or secondary lowland tropical rainforest or premontane primary rainforest on soils with a varying composition of clay, sand, humus and fibrous roots, 0–1200 m.
Hydriastele variabilis. A–B. Habit. C. Inflorescences with pistillate flowers. D. Infructescence with immature fruit. A, C from Gardiner 424; B, D from Aifat, Bird’s Head Peninsula, western New Guinea. Photos A, C: W.J. Baker; B, D: C.D. Heatubun. Phytotaxa 370 (1) © 2018 Magnolia Press.
PETER PETOE, CHARLIE D. HEATUBUN & WILLIAM J. BAKER Phytotaxa 370 (1) © 2018 Magnolia Press.

Description

Clustering, slender palm to 8 m tall, bearing 4–7 leaves per crown. Stem 2–4 cm in diam. Leaf 95–140 cm long including petiole; sheath 27–45 cm long; petiole 9–30 cm long; leaflets 11–23 per side, arranged regularly to subregularly, linear; basal leaflets single-fold, pointed or obliquely praemorse apically; terminal leaflets comprising 4–11 folds, truncately praemorse apically; Inflorescence 10–25 cm long including 2–2.5 cm peduncle, branched to 1 or 2 orders, protogynous; primary branches 6–11, to 22 cm long, bearing up to 1 rachilla each; triads opposite and decussate. Staminate flower not seen. Pistillate flower 2–2.5 × 2–3 mm in bud (when dry) with free sepals and free, ± rounded, low petals. Fruit 10–12 × 6.3–7.8 mm when ripe, ellipsoid to ovoid with ends ± tapering when dry, red, with inconspicuous stigmatic apical remains lacking encircling dark sclerotic zone. Seed 7–8.2 × 5–6 mm, ovoid; endosperm deeply ruminate. PETER PETOE, CHARLIE D. HEATUBUN & WILLIAM J. BAKER Phytotaxa 370 (1) © 2018 Magnolia Press.

Culture

Growing Climate: - Best suited to the tropics but will grow in protected shady position in subtropics. Like a rich well drained soil with regular watering temperatures from 6.C to 35.C. (Utopia Palms & Cycads). Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b

Comments and Curiosities

Notes:—Hydriastele variabilis is a slender understorey to midstorey palm bearing leaves with regularly to subregularly arranged, linear leaflets. The species is distinguished by its leaves with a well-defined petiole, basal leaflets with pointed to obliquely praemorse tips, and a terminal leaflet pair comprising 4–11 folds. The infructescence is rather distinctive in being branched to one or two orders, and bearing fruits that become somewhat fusiform upon drying. Hydriastele variabilis is superficially similar to H. kasesa in the slender habit but that species has irregularly arranged leaflets. While H. apetiolata and H. rheophytica both are regularly pinnate, the former species is less slender with apetiolate adult leaves, while the latter is a rheophyte with pliable stems and terminal leaflets comprising 2 or 3 folds. Rarely, the leaflets in H. wendlandiana can be regularly arranged prompting comparison with H. variabilis but H. wendlandiana has basal leaflets with truncately praemorse tips. PETER PETOE, CHARLIE D. HEATUBUN & WILLIAM J. BAKER Phytotaxa 370 (1) © 2018 Magnolia Press.

Hydriastele variabilis is described in more detail by Petoe et al. (2018). PETER PETOE, CHARLIE D. HEATUBUN & WILLIAM J. BAKER Phytotaxa 370 (1) © 2018 Magnolia Press.

Sub species: Nenga variabilis var. sphaerocarpa Beccari (1877: 27). Hydriastele variabilis var. sphaerocarpa (Becc.) Burret (1937: 483). Type:— INDONESIA. West Papua Province: Amberbakin, 1872, Beccari s.n. (holotype FI!, isotype K!).

Uses:—None recorded.

Vernacular names:—Sagarofa (Sumuri), Pinang Oetan (Malay).

Conservation status:—Least Concern (LC; Petoe et al. 2018). PETER PETOE, CHARLIE D. HEATUBUN & WILLIAM J. BAKER Phytotaxa 370 (1) © 2018 Magnolia Press.



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).

PETER PETOE, CHARLIE D. HEATUBUN & WILLIAM J. BAKER Phytotaxa 370 (1) © 2018 Magnolia Press.


Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.

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