Chambeyronia lepidota

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Chambeyronia
(kam-beh-ROH-nee-ah)
lepidota (lep-ih-DOHT-ah)
Chamblep0009z.jpg
Location: Mont Panié. New Caledonia.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Chambeyronia
(kam-beh-ROH-nee-ah)
Species:
lepidota (lep-ih-DOHT-ah)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Oceania
Oceania.gif
Morphology
Habit: Solitary
Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Chambeyronia lepidota is found in the undergrowth of the rainforest. On ground more or
Location: Mont Panié, Versant Ouest. New Caledonia.
less profound vulcano-sedimentary substrate, occurs on soils derived from schistose rocks at higher elevations, between 400 and 1500 m, in the humid east-central and north-east areas of New Caledonia.

Description

A rather stout trunk, reddish brown, with leaf scars faint, and inconspicuous roots at the base. Trunk type: Solitary. Hight: To 35' (8 to 11 meters). The crownshaft is very robust, and coated with a red-brownish velvet (the word lepidota in Latin, means with scales). All the parts of the plant are much thicker, and stiffer than comparable parts of C. macrocarpa . Leaf detail: Pinnately compound, diametrically opposed, with mid-rib in center of pinnae, and blunt tip. Leaves 8-10, curved and spreading; petiole reddish brown, 45 cm long; sheath, (crownshaft), about 1 m, covered with a thick reddish-brown tomentum. Phenology: (flower) 2 to 3 inflorescences emerging under the leaves, branched, covered with a thick tomentum gray - brown. Fruits: Fruit obovoid or ellipsoid from 2.5 to 3.5 x 1.5 to 2.5 cm, red when ripe. Reproduction: Fruiting in July. Editing by edric.

Culture

Requirements: Filtered light when young, full sun when mature, consistently moist soil, well drained position. In cultivation, Chambeyronia lepidota is still extremely rare. Seeds of the high elevation form are particularly difficult to obtain as they are heavily predated upon by introduced rats. The seeds are very easy to germinate (no heat please), but rather slow growing afterwards. The high elevation form would do particularly well in cool tropical and many warm temperate climates, especially those where palms such as Rhopalostylis, Hedyscepe or Howea are known to succeed. Experience with its requirements is somewhat limited. It is very easy to germinate but rather slow growing afterwards and would do well in humid tropical and many warm temperate climates.

PFC for PP.png

Comments and Curiosities

This rare and little-known cousin of the Red Leaf Palm is a moderately large palm to 15 m (50 ft.) tall, with a slender, smooth trunk and a very neat, compact crown of ascending to slightly arching, distinctly keeled leaves with thick, leathery, stiff, very regularly arranged leaflets. A spectacular, thick, velvety reddish brown crownshaft supports the crown. Overall it resembles such palms as Rhopalostylis, Hedyscepe and Ceroxylon parvifrons.

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The mid elevation form grows in montane rainforests in east-central and northeastern New Caledonia mainly between about 600 and 800 m (2000 and 2600 ft.) but may be found as low as 400 m (1300 ft.). It is generally somewhat more slender than the high elevation form of this species and seems to have a darker, less reddish crownshaft, but these differences in appearance may be due to the different habitats of montane and cloud forest and whether the plants are emergent above the forest canopy or not. One consistent and surprising difference, however, are the fruits: The fruit of the mid elevation form is partly filled with a strange, gelatinous substance that seems to have no function other than filling the space (about half) in the fruit that is not occupied by the endosperm. The endosperm thus has a somewhat hemispherical shape and occupies only a rather small fraction of the fruit. This can drastically be seen in a longitudinal section of the fruit and seed.

The high elevation form grows in cloudforests in east-central and northeastern New Caledonia mainly between about 900 and 1500 m (3000 and 4900 ft.). It looks generally somewhat more robust than the mid elevation form of this species and seems to have a more reddish crownshaft, but these differences in appearance may be due to the different habitats of montane and cloud forest and whether the plants are emergent above the forest canopy or not. One consistent and surprising difference, however, are the fruits: The fruit of the mid elevation form is partly filled with a strange, gelatinous substance that seems to have no function other than filling the space in the fruit that is not occupied by the endosperm. The fruit of the high elevation form, however, has a regularly developed endosperm. (RPS.com)



  • IMAGE GALLERY

  • Mt Panie, New Caledonia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Floribunda Palms, Jeff Marcus for scale, Hawaii.

  • Floribunda Palms, Hawaii.

  • Floribunda Palms, Hawaii.

  • Big Island, Hawaii.

  • Crownshaft, Hawaii.

  • Marcus Garden.

  • 2013, Jeff Marcus giving scale, Floribunda Palms, Hawaii. Photo by Jeff Marcus

  • 2013, Floribunda Palms, Hawaii. Photo by Jeff Marcus

  • Location: Crépuscule sur le Mont Panié. 1000-1600 m. New Caledonia.

  • Location: Colnett. New Caledonia.

  • Location: Mont Panié. 1000-1600 m. New Caledonia.

  • Location: Mont Panié, Versant Ouest. New Caledonia.

  • Location: Mont Panié, Versant Ouest. New Caledonia.

  • Location: Mont Panié. 500 m. New Caledonia.

  • Chamblep0007z.jpg

  • Location: Mont Panié. 500 m. New Caledonia.

  • Location: Mont Panié. New Caledonia.

  • Chamblep0010z.jpg

  • Gaine, (sheath).

  • Gaine de près, (at the sheath or crownshaft). Location: Versant Est du mont Panié, a 1000 m. New Caledonia.

  • Gaine et infrutescences. Location:Versant Est du mont Panié, a 1000 m. New Caledonia.

  • Début d'inflorescence. (Beginning of inflorescence). New Caledonia.

  • Location: Versant Est du mont Panié, a 1000 m. New Caledonia.

  • Photo by Roberto

  • Photo by Roberto

  • Photo by Roberto

  • Chambeyronia lepidota01z.jpg
  • ChambeyronialepidotaRz.jpg

  • High elev. form. In habitat. Photo-Rare Palm Seeds.com

  • High elev. form. In habitat. Photo-Rare Palm Seeds.com

  • Mid elev. form. In habitat. Photo-Rare Palm Seeds.com

  • Chamblep0018z.jpg
  • Chamblep0019z.jpg

  • Photo by Carlo Morici

  • C. lepidota infructescence with evident rat predation at 1100 m. Photo by Carlo Morici

  • C. lepidota in habitat, Mont Pani at 1400 m. Photo by Carlo Morici

  • Harold L. Lyon Arboretum, a 200-acre arboretum in Mānoa Valley, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. Photo by BGL

  • Harold L. Lyon Arboretum, a 200-acre arboretum in Mānoa Valley, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. Photo by BGL

  • Fallbrook, CA. Photo by Jason Dunn.

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).


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

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