Linospadix monostachyos

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Linospadix
(lihn-oh-SPAH-dihks)
monostachyos
(mohn-oh-stah-KEE-ohs)

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Scientific Classification
Genus: Linospadix
(lihn-oh-SPAH-dihks)
Species:
monostachyos
(mohn-oh-stah-KEE-ohs)
Synonyms
Kentia monostachya, Bacularia monostachya, Areca monostachya. (1870)
Native Continent
Oceania
Oceania.gif
Morphology
Habit: Solitary
Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Walking-stick palm.

Habitat and Distribution

New South Wales, Queensland. From just north of Gympie (Qld)- Home Logging area-at 26˚05'S to John's Mt. just north of Taree (NSW) at 31˚30'S. In rain forest from sea level to 1200 m elevation, primarily on basalt soils, less common on metamorphics and alluvial soils. (J.L. Dowe. 1997)/Palmweb. [[

Description

Solitary small to moderate size palm. Trunk 1.3-6 m tall,2-7 cm in diam.; internodes elongate, green to grey with age; crown holds 5-10 leaves; leaf bases persistent immediately below crown. Leaves to 130 cm long, irregularly segmented with united or single pinnae, or regularly pinnate with single pinnae; petiole 24-80 cm long, 5.5-8 mm wide; pinnae 10-30 per leaf, to 30 cm long, 5-200 mm wide, glossy mid- to dark green above, lighter green below, truncate with toothed apices; midrib and veins prominent on both surfaces; lamina, when backlit under 10X magnification, has numerous circular clear "cells" to 0.1 mm wide, linearly parallel to midrib and veins. Inflorescence to 100 cm long; peduncle 30-60 cm long; prophyll 20-30 cm long; rachis to 50 cm long. Staminate flowers pointed in bud, angular/pyramidal, 6-13 mm long; petals rigid, apically pointed, acutely heeled, green at anthesis, not widely opening at anthesis, 6-13 X 7-10 mm, with deep longitudinal striations in the dried state; stamens 8-12; connective apiculate and extending beyond attachment of anthers; anthers subulate. Fruit globose to ovoid to elongate/cylindrical, 2-15 X 5-10 mm, red at maturity; epicarp smooth. Seed elongate/ellipsoid. (J.L. Dowe. 1997)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

Martius' (1837) protologue for L. monostachyos (as Areca monostachya) refers to an unnumbered A. Cunningham collection from the Hastings River, New South Wales. This collection appears to be no longer extant, and therefore Martius' illustration Tab. 155. figure 4 has been designated here as the lectotype. Linospadix monostachyos is a common species occurring in the rain forests of southern Queensland and northern New South. It is the largest species of the genus in Australia, and is distinguished by pointed angular/pyramidal staminate buds, mature flowers that are approximately twice the size as those in other species, globose fruit, and solitary habit. (J.L. Dowe. 1997)/Palmweb.

Culture

Comments and Curiosities

Under the new international rules of botanic nomenclature, the correct name of the plant is Linospadix monostachyos! edric.

read more

Phenology: Fruiting December to June.

Etymology: The genus name is a combination of the Greek words "linos" = thread, rope, and Latin "spadix" = to draw, or pull, and the species name "monos" = alone, unique, and "stachys" = spike, both in reference to the inflorescence being a single spike.

Uses: Stem once used for walking-sticks and umbrella handles. The small knob at the base of the stem is often carved to form an ornate handle.

My first recollections of this delightful miniature palm go back as far as 1931 when, as a child, I encountered it from a German grandfather trying to teach me the art of sword fencing. One of his walking canes was a Bacularia, and this I learned was one of the many stripped from the northern New South Wales rainforests at the ending of World War I, to be used as walking sticks by returning, wounded diggers. The idea of conservation was never the issue then, and many acts of mass destruction against the flora and fauna were considered normal in the name of progress.

Some specimens of the walking stick palm, having a height of 3 metres in the north of New South Wales and the Queensland Lamington Plateau, have a trunk (stem) diameter of 3cm. These were the type usually used for walking canes. The dug palm had all its roots removed, generally leaving a cylindrical to slightly oval, knobby ball which, when smoothed, sanded and polished, made an excellent handgrip. The stem was then cut to a desired length and also polished. A rubber button was fitted to the end. The toughness and strength of this cane has to be experienced to be believed! I have since seen specimens where the handgrip end was ornately carved.

This attractive little palm, from the Arecaceae family, once known as Bacularia, but now placed into the genus Linospadix, is extremely hardy and will grow in a wide band of climatic conditions, but it is better used as an understorey plant and given some shade. (Actually, the name Bacularia did mean walking stick, while the name change to Linospadix simply means in a single spike, referring to the inflorescence of these palms).

My first encounter with them in their habitat was with a group of Australian plant enthusiasts, around 1968, at the Gibraltar Range in New South Wales. We were all conversant with this species, but I, for one, had not seen it in the wild.

Most of our morning walks had taken in the abundant flora and also some flowering Waratahs. A species of grass tree (Xanthorrhoea sp.) was also very prevalent. On climbing a steep ridge and entering really dense rainforest, it was quite an experience to find a great colony of Linospadix growing beneath the trees and Archontophoenix palm canopy. Average height was 2 metres, with a few slightly larger.

No seed was evident, but some plants had many arching spikes of small buds. These were generally greenish-cream florets, there being both male and female flowers on the same spike. Where the crown-shaft generally is, the crowded leaf bases were packed with coarse fibre, but there was no crown-shaft. All the trunk stems I observed were about 3cm thick and the stems prominently ringed from the base to just about where the foliage sprouted.

Linospadix monostachyos has a delicate but dense crown. The full leaves can be 90-120cm long. The actual leaflets are pinnately divided into a number of broad and narrow leaflets, each one being serrated on the square ends. The number of dull to glossy green-grey leaflets is quite variable. Those examined at the Gibraltar Range had four narrow, opposite pairs, one wide fishtail pair, then a narrow pair ending terminally with a broad fishtail. All segments pointed forward.

During the seventies, we became very involved with Binna Burra, a guest lodge situated on a 1000 metre peak in the Lamington National Park. As I was involved in their annual Greenfinger Week for nine years, this gave me ample time for a long association with the little Linospadix. The palm grows naturally in approximately two-thirds of these subtropical rainforest areas, and around Binna Burra and OReillys Guest House there would be some 200km of walking tracks.

In many of the walks, especially down into the cool valleys, the forest canopy is rich with Archontophoenix cunninghamiana (Piccabeen Palm) and the understorey has many colonies of the Linospadix. In the early autumn the arching spike florets become strings of orange or red seed beads peculiar to this palm. In survival emergencies, both the emerging crown leaves and the red seeds are edible.

The florets are initially encased in two small leaf sepals, the one above longer than the one beneath. When the top one falls off, the floret opens. In the case of the male, it is pale yellow, ovate, and opens only slightly. The female floret is greenish-yellow, small than the male, and so arranged that there is one female between two males.

I have found this little palm to be quite variable. So much so, that I often thought some were another species. At River Road, Peachester, slightly inland from Beerwah (in southern Queensland), it occurs in a 100 hectare section of an untouched rainforest scrub still standing. Here the plants attain the height of 4.2 metres, have a stem thickness of only 2.2cm, and have quite a pronounced swollen base. The crown is much as usual, except the leaf stems are shorter. This, however, is merely considered a taller form, and about as big as it will grow.

To sum up, it could well be asked that if this plant is so desirable and with so many things going for it, why is it not readily available in the nurseries? Seed germination tales, at the least, six months in the very best of conditions. This alone is a hazard. Then, the seedling palm has to become big enough for wholesale to handle. I have found that this makes it a collectors piece, because only specialised nurseries will handle it. Like the seedling exotic Sabal palm, wholesalers avoid this species because of the slow initial growth pattern. Nurseries specialising in the Arecaceae family (palms) or those that sell mostly Australian plants are the most likely places to obtain this little gem.

In cultivation it offers few problems, being able to stand full sunshine (but preferring half shade). Loving a deep rich loamy soil, it also grows well in a shallow soil if a quantity of compost is around it and ample water plus drainage is there. This palm will not tolerate transplanting, unless a fair bit of T.L.C. is exercised.

(This article was written by the late Len Butt during the time when he was Leader of the Cycad/Zamiad & Palm Study Group.)

"This is a great little palm with a good deal of hardiness here in So Cal (down to 9b easily) and is an excellent specimen palm for a shady, small gardens. It has a graceful habit of arching feather leaves with leaflets of variable width (some finely split and some wide), along with long inflourescences eventually covered with bright red seed. The stem is single (this is the only Linospadix that doesn't sucker), deeply ringed and about 1/2" in diameter. In Australia it was used historically as a walking stick because of its sturdiness, width and straightness (hence the name Walking Stick Palm)." (Geoff Stein 2003)

"I tasted the red fruit of this palm and it was quite sweet. It is a native of my area (rainforests of northern NSW). Back in the 1950's a small plane crashed on our northern ranges and the 3 survivors lived on this fruit until found (3 days later). It takes 3 years for the fruit, in its native locale, to be ripe ie from green to red. (deekayn 2004)

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).

Dowe, J.L.1997. A Revision of Linospadix in Australia, with the Description of a New Species. Principes 41: 192-197, 211-217.

  • IMAGE GALLERY

  • Lotusland, California.

  • Kona, Hawaii.

  • Kona, Hawaii.

  • So. California.

  • Tonga apartments. Ventura CA. Photo by Troy Donovan, edric.

  • Hawaii. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, edric.

  • Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. Aljos Farjon/Palmweb.

  • New South Wales, Australia. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • New South Wales, Australia. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • New South Wales, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • New South Wales, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • New South Wales, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • New South Wales, Australia. Photo by Dr. T.M. Tame, edric.

  • New South Wales, Australia. Photo by Drs. John & Patricia Edwards , edric.

  • New South Wales, Australia. Photo by Dr. S. Goodwin, edric., edric.

  • New South Wales, Australia. Photo by Dr. T.M. Tame, edric.

  • Shows native habitat. (Also Queensland)

  • Australia, New South Wales, Sydney, Royal Botanic Gardens. Photo by Dr. J.S. Peterson, edric.

  • "Santa Barbara, California- about 9' tall" Photo by Geoff Stein, edric.

  • Lyons arboretum, Hawaii. Photo by Geoff Stein, edric.

  • Photo by Ginger, edric.

  • Photo by Ginger, edric.

  • Photo by Ginger, edric.

  • Photo by Ginger, edric.

  • Photo by Ginger, edric.

  • Photo by Ginger, edric.

  • Photo by Ginger, edric.

  • Photo by Ginger, edric.

  • Nightcap National Park. Photo by Peter Woodard, edric.

  • Nymboi Binderay National Park. Photo by Peter Woodard, edric.

  • Mt Tambourine, SE Queensland. Photo by Eric Fehr, edric.

  • Mt Tambourine, SE Queensland. Photo by Eric Fehr, edric.

  • Mt Tambourine, SE Queensland. Photo by Eric Fehr, edric.

  • Mt Tambourine, SE Queensland. Photo by Eric Fehr, edric.

  • Dorrigo NP, NSW, Australia. Photo by Ciska van Geer, edric.

  • "Most were the thin leaf form, and often we saw the wide leaf, and thin leaf forms side by side, one specimen I swore had both shaped leaves." (Wal). Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • "Most were the thin leaf form, and often we saw the wide leaf, and thin leaf forms side by side, one specimen I swore had both shaped leaves." (Wal). Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • "Most were the thin leaf form, and often we saw the wide leaf, and thin leaf forms side by side, one specimen I swore had both shaped leaves." (Wal). Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • "Most were the thin leaf form, and often we saw the wide leaf, and thin leaf forms side by side, one specimen I swore had both shaped leaves." (Wal). Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • "Most were the thin leaf form, and often we saw the wide leaf, and thin leaf forms side by side, one specimen I swore had both shaped leaves." (Wal). Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • "Most were the thin leaf form, and often we saw the wide leaf, and thin leaf forms side by side, one specimen I swore had both shaped leaves." (Wal). Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • Wide leaf form. Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • Thin leaf form. Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • This one appears to have both leaf shapes on the one plant. Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • Wal next to a tall one. Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000m elevation. Photo by Dayrl O'Connor, edric.

  • "Walking Stick Palms - so named because they used to cut the stems and carve them into Walking Sticks for returned soldiers after WW1 - the swollen base made a good handle." (Daryl). Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Dayrl O'Connor, edric.

  • "Walking Stick Palms - so named because they used to cut the stems and carve them into Walking Sticks for returned soldiers after WW1 - the swollen base made a good handle." (Daryl). Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Dayrl O'Connor, edric.

  • "Walking Stick Palms - so named because they used to cut the stems and carve them into Walking Sticks for returned soldiers after WW1 - the swollen base made a good handle." (Dayrl). Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Dayrl O'Connor, edric.

  • "Walking Stick Palms - so named because they used to cut the stems and carve them into Walking Sticks for returned soldiers after WW1 - the swollen base made a good handle." (Dayrl). Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Dayrl O'Connor, edric.

  • "Walking Stick Palms - so named because they used to cut the stems and carve them into Walking Sticks for returned soldiers after WW1 - the swollen base made a good handle." (Dayrl). Springbrook National Park, 30 minutes from the beaches of the Gold Coast (Australia). The Springbrook Plateau sits at about 1000 m elevation. Photo by Dayrl O'Connor, edric.

  • Beerwah State Forest, Sunshine Coast, Hinterland, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • Beerwah State Forest, Sunshine Coast, Hinterland, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • Beerwah State Forest, Sunshine Coast, Hinterland, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • Beerwah State Forest, Sunshine Coast, Hinterland, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • Beerwah State Forest, Sunshine Coast, Hinterland, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • Beerwah State Forest, Sunshine Coast, Hinterland, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Wal, edric.

  • Growing above 1000 metrtes in montane cloud forest in Springbrook National Park, north Queensland, Australia. Photo by tanetahi, edric.

  • In montane rainforest, Lamington National Park, north Queensland, Australia. Photo by tanetahi, edric.

  • In montane rainforest, Lamington National Park, along one of the walking tracks from the Binna Burra trailhead. northern Queensland, Australia. Photo by tanetahi, edric.

  • Linospadix natural variegated plant, Mt. Lewis, northern Queensland, Australia. Photo by tanetahi, edric.


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

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