Lanonia hainanensis

Lanonia (lah-non-EE-ah) hainanensis (high-nah-NEN-sis)
Photo by garrytsen.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Lanonia (lah-non-EE-ah) Species: hainanensis (high-nah-NEN-sis)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Costapalmate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Lowland rain forests; below 600 m. Hainan Island: Endemic.

Photo by garrytsen.

Description

Stems clustered, to 4 m tall, 2-3 cm in diam. Leaf sheaths about 40 cm, extended above petioles into short ocreas; petioles 50-160 cm, basal part with regularly spaced, recurved, brown spines to 0.5 cm; blades to 1.2 m wide, split into 12-17 segments, green on both surfaces; middle segment only slightly wider than others, split, 36-41 cm, 7-8 cm wide at apex, costa terminating in a glandlike structure abaxially at base of split. Plants dioecious. Inflorescences up to 1 m, erect among leaves; rachis about 50 cm, with 3-5 partial inflorescences, these branched to 2 orders; male and female rachillae 9-16 on each partial inflorescence, 8-17 cm; male flowers solitary or loosely grouped in 2-4, female flowers solitary. Fruits globose, 0.7-0.9 cm in diam., orange or red at maturity, with reflexed perianth. (Bacon. C.D. & Henderson, A.J., Lanonia (Arecaceae: Palmae), a New Genus from Asia, with a Revision of the Species in Systematic Botany 36. 2011) Editing by edric.

Comments and Curiosities

Lanonia hainanensis,previously known as Licuala hainanensis, is a relatively new species, being dioecious, with separate male and female plants.