Livistona victoriae

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Livistona (liv-iss-TOH-nah)
victoriae (vik-tohr'-ee-eh)
LvP070276.jpg
Northern Territory, Australia. Photo by Dr. J. L. Dowe.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Livistona (liv-iss-TOH-nah)
Species:
victoriae (vik-tohr'-ee-eh)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Oceania
Oceania.gif
Morphology
Habit: Solitary
Leaf type: Palmate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Victoria River Fan Palm.

Habitat and Distribution

Australia. Northern Territory and Western Australia.
Northern Territory, Australia. Photo by Dr. J. L. Dowe.
In the region between the Victoria R. basin and Bungle Bungle Range. Grows in open forest in sandstone gorges, in escarpment gullies and cliff bases and along streams and intermittent watercourses, 50- 320 m alt.

Description

Functionally dioecious palm. Trunk to 17 m tall, 15-30 cm in diameter breast high, leaf scars narrow, internodes narrow, grey, petiole stubs not persistent. Leaves 25-40 in a globose crown; petiole arching, 80-200 cm long, pruinose, adaxially flat, margins with single, curved, blunt, black thorns, confined to the proximal portion; leaf-base fibres moderately prominent, fine, persistent; lamina costapalmate, regularly segmented, subcircular, 80-100 cm long, coriaceous, adaxially grey green or bluish green, strongly pruinose, dull, abaxially similar; lamina divided for 55-65% of its length, with 40-56 segments, depth of apical cleft 55-70% of the segment length, apical lobes attenuate, rigid; parallel veins 9-11 each side of midrib; transverse veins thinner than parallel veins. Inflorescences unbranched at the base, not sexually dimorphic, 50-150 cm long, not extending beyond the limit of the crown, branched to 4 orders; partial inflorescences 5-9; prophyll not seen; peduncular bract 1; rachis bracts loosely sheathing, fibrous with age, densely tomentose; rachillae 1-3 cm long, glabrous. Flowers solitary or paired, funnel shaped, 2-4 mm long, cream to pale yellow; sepals triangular, 0.7-0.8 mm long, membranous, acute; petals narrowly ovate, 1.2-1.5 mm long, acute; stamens about 0.9 mm long. Fruit globose to ellipsoid, 8-15 mm long, about 10 mm in diam., dull dark reddish brown to black; epicarp smooth; suture line extends for most of the length of the fruit; mesocarp thin, fibrous; endocarp thin, brittle; pedicel 0.5-1 mm long. Seed globose, about 9 mm wide. Eophyll 3-ribbed. (Dowe, J.L.)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

Culture

Likes it very hot, and not very humid, but with ample water. Cold Hardiness zone: 9b

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Comments and Curiosities

Phenology: Flowers Mar-Dec; fruits Dec-July.

Conservation: Lower risk, conservation dependent. (Dowe, J.L.)/Palmweb.

"This is one of the more fastidious of the Livistona species, growing quite slowly and requiring full sun and heat for survival. It also is one of the more drought tolerant species, but grows better if given some water regularly, especially when small. It seems fairly cold sensitive and struggles through long cool winters such as the ones seen in southern California... definitely does better in the deserts out here, or in warm, sunny, wind-protected locations closer to the coast. The better draining the soil, the better- rots in moist, cold soils. Has a nice blue-silvery-grey to leaves and reminds one of a slender Brahea armata (Mexican blue Fan palm). Native to northern Australia." (Geoff Stein)



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., A taxonomic account of Livistona R.Br. (Arecaceae). A taxonomic account of Livistona R.Br. (Arecaceae).


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

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