Laccosperma acutiflorum

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Laccosperma (lah-koh-SPEHR-mah)
acutiflorum
(ah-koo-tih-FLOHR-uhm)
La2787193.jpg
Kumba-Nguti, Cameroon. Cirrus showing pair of acanthophylls. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Laccosperma (lah-koh-SPEHR-mah)
Species:
acutiflorum
(ah-koo-tih-FLOHR-uhm)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Africa
Africa.gif
Morphology
Habit: Clustering
Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Zaire.
Near Campo, Cameroon. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Laccosperma acutiflorum is distributed from Sierra Leone to Cameroon, southwards to Gabon and Democratic Republic of Congo. Laccosperma acutiflorum is a light demanding species commonly found in gap vegetation and in open areas. This species often occurs in seasonally-inundated and swamp forest, although it is also found in drier, exposed sites. L. acutiflorum responds well to selective logging and will colonize recently disturbed soil particularly on skid trails and roadsides.

Description

Clustered robust to massive palm climbing to 70 m, more commonly to 30-50 m. Stems without sheaths 3.5-4.5 cm, with 4.5-5 cm; internodes up to 40 cm long, more commonly 18-25 cm. Leaf sheath light green-yellowish, conspicuously striate, moderately to sparsely armed with angular, black-tipped, spreading or upward pointing, spines, mature sheaths becoming somewhat bare, with only vestigial remains of spines, covered with sparse black-brown indumentum; ocrea 12-20 cm long (although up to 40 cm long on juvenile sheaths only), broadly sheathing and tapering to form a rounded lobe, dry, sometimes splitting longitudinally, light grey-brown without, deep crimson brown within, armed as the sheath although spines often concentrated in central region of ocrea. Leaves up to 3.5 m long; petiole 6-10 cm long × 2-3 cm. wide, much longer on juvenile sheaths (up to 45 cm) light green to dull yellow, with sparse light brown indumentum beneath, abaxially rounded, adaxially flattened or slightly concave, armed along the margins with inequidistant black-tipped, bulbous-based spines 0.8-1 cm long, angular, spreading in many directions; rachis yellow-green, up to 1.8-2.5m long, shaped as the petiole proximally, becoming trapezoid to triangular in cross section distally, armed as the petiole, although spines becoming more sparse distally, underside of rachis with sparse light brown indumentum; cirrus often bright yellow, 1.2-1.8 m long, scarsely armed, ± triangular in cross section; leaflets up to 50 on each side, held horizontally or arching from the rachis, rarely strictly pendulous with a single-fold, equidistant and sub-opposite proximally, alternate distally, linear lanceolate, bluntly acuminate to apiculate at the apex (often breaking off), 30-40 cm long, more commonly 18-30 cm, 3.0-4.5 cm broad at the widest point, rarely up to 6 cm wide, discolorous with dark green upper lamina, light green lower surface, leaflet margin armed with sub-equidistant robust, short, forward-facing black-tipped spines, up to 2mm long, 1-2- or rarely 3-5 costulate, armed as the margin although spines on primary veins rather longer; acanthophylls bright yellow, 4-4.5 cm. long, 0.5 cm. broad, bulbous at base. Inflorescences, numbering 6-12 produced simultaneously in the distal 1.5-2.5 m portion of stem; peduncle 15-20 cm long; prophyll up to 20 cm; rachis branches up to 50 cm long, perpendicular to the main axis, rachis bracts 3-3.5 cm long, decreasing distally, tapering to form an elongate triangular lobe adaxially, closely adpressed to the bract above, upper half dry, grey, longitudinally splitting, at first, lower half fleshy, bright yellow-green, then, as fruits develop, becoming dry throughout; rachillae 20-30 cm long, pendulous, densely covered with yellow-green imbricate bracts 4-5 mm long, with a wide opening and 1 mm long apiculum. Flowers at anthesis 1-1.2 cm × 3 mm; calyx 5-6 mm long, excluding 1.5-2.0 mm stalk, indistinctly striate, cream, tubular in the basal 2-3 mm with 3 broadly triangular to acuminate lobes 3.0-3.5 mm × 2.0-2.5 mm; corolla tubular in the basal 1.5-2 mm, with 3 valvate lobes, white or pale cream, rarely mottled brown/tan, ca.9 mm × 2 mm with broadly acuminate tip; stamen filaments dark brown, 4-5 mm × 1 mm, united into a 1-1.5 mm-long basal tube; anthers 3 mm × 1 mm, ovary ca.1 mm in diameter, stigma up to 6 mm. Fruit at maturity ovoid, 1- (sometimes 2) seeded, 1.8-2 cm × 1.3-1.5 mm wide, with 17-20 vertical rows of scales. Seed smooth, ovoid, with lightly scalloped depression on one side 1.0-1.2 cm long × 0.8-1.2 mm wide × 0.5-0.8 mm deep. (T.C.H Sunderland, A taxonomic revision of the rattans of Africa (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) in Phytotaxa 51. 2012)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: From the Latin; refering to acuminate calyx lobes.



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).

T.C.H Sunderland, A taxonomic revision of the rattans of Africa (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) in Phytotaxa 51. 2012


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

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