Pinanga tashiroi

Pinanga (pih-NAHN-gah)
tashiroi (tash-ih-ROH-ee)

Pinanga tashiroi on Red Head mountain, Lanyu Island, Taiwan, 2009. Photo by Phil Markey

Scientific Classification

Genus:	Pinanga (pih-NAHN-gah)
Species:	tashiroi (tash-ih-ROH-ee)

Synonyms

None set.

Native Continent

Asia

Morphology

Habit:	Clustering
Leaf type:	Pinnate

Culture

Survivability index

Common names

None.

Habitat and Distribution

Taiwan; Pinanga tashiroi is found only on Orchid Island (Lan Yu) off the southeastern

Pinanga tashiroi on Red Head mountain, Lanyu Island, Taiwan, 2009. Photo by Phil Markey

coast of Taiwan; it is thus endemic to Taiwan. Its natural habitat is lowland rain forest below 500 m (1,600 ft).

Description

Small clustering palm, up to 5 m (16 ft) tall, swollen at base. It is a critically endangered species.

Stems clustered or solitary, to 5 m tall, to 5 cm or more in diam., swollen at bases. Leaves pinnate; sheaths closed and forming crownshafts, to 1 m, green with reddish brown scales; petioles to 60 cm; rachis to 1.5 m; pinnae many per side of rachis, green abaxially, linear, multi-veined, regularly arranged; middle pinnae to 60 × 2-2.5 cm. Inflorescences branched, pendulous; peduncles not seen; rachis not seen; rachillae about 30, to 21 cm, glabrous; triads distichously arranged, superficial on rachillae; male flowers 10-11 mm, deciduous; sepals connate into a 3-lobed calyx; petals to 10 mm; stamens 36-42; female flowers about 5 mm; sepals about 3 mm, rounded at apex, ciliate; petals about 3 mm, ciliate. Fruits red, ovoid to globose, to 1.8 × 1.2 cm. (efloras.org) Editing by edric.

A solitary, smallish, water-loving, salt-tolerant, moderately fast growing, monoecious, forest understorey, crownshaft palm. Not known in cultivation, vulnerable in the wild. It has a smooth, greenish waxy trunk, 4.9 m. (16 ft.) tall, 20 cm. (8 inch) diameter with spaced ring leaf scars, and large segmented, pinnate (feather) leaves, 2.1 m. (7 ft.) long, 0.9 m. (3 ft.) wide, dark green above and beneath. (Phil Markey)

Monoecious. Trunk less than 7 m tall, 20 cm in diameter, swollen at base, grey white, solitary or possibly occasionally clustering. Leaves pinnately compound, 2 m long or more, deep green above, polished, somewhat glaucous; leaflets linear, 60 cm long 2-2.5 cm wide, veins 2-4 tomentose; sheath ca. 1 m long, rusty brown. Inflorescence a spike, infrafoliar, 45 cm long, somewhat pendulous; pistillate flower in centre, surrounded by staminate flowers; staminate flower 1-1.1 cm long 1.2 cm across, flowering in morning and falling by afternoon; sepals 3, triangular, apex acuminate, petals 3, milky, pink at tip, ovate, 1 cm long, 6-9 mm wide; stamens 36-41, 2-4.5 mm long, 0.8-1 mm wide, sessile or nearly so; anthers 4-6 mm long, 2 celled, longitudinally dehiscent; filament white, pinkish apically; pollen white; pistillate flowers ovoid, 5 mm long, 6 mm wide; sepals 3, imbricate, broadly ovate, 3 mm long, 4 mm wide; petals 3, same as sepals, ciliate; flowering July. Fruit ovoid, 1.8 cm long, 1.2 cm across; deep red to black; seed 1, ruminate. (Phil Markey)

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b

Comments and Curiosities

Conservation: It is a critically endangered species.

Through the courtesy of Mr. E. D. Meeill, I have learnt that the palm is closely allied to the Philippine Pinanga barnesii Becc. Our palm is, however, different from that species in its taller and thicker trunks, and in its smaller fruits. (Phil Markey)

"One of the biggest Pinanga species that grows only in a minimal area on Taiwan, only a handful of people know the original location (... and I know one of the people!), The botanical gardens on site indicate the growing there Pinanga' s as "tashiroi", but this assumption is wrong, although P. tashiroi grows in Taiwanese highlands, but preferably tropical to subtropical conditions, partial shade and moist soil and high humidity. This palm is the first time ever officially, commercially available, and is expected to be in possession of only very few collectors worldwide!" (Joerg Schumann)