Maxburretia gracilis

Maxburretia (maks-boor-REHT-ee-ah) gracilis (grah-SIHL-iss)
Malaysia. Photo-Malaysian Biological Diversity.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Maxburretia (maks-boor-REHT-ee-ah) Species: gracilis (grah-SIHL-iss)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Costapalmate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Thailand (Peninsular). Malaysia, in forest, on cliffs, in few limestone outcroppings, on the

Malaysia. Photo-Malaysian Biological Diversity.

Langkawi Islands, off the Malay Peninsula. to 500 meters Elev.

Description

Stems clustered to 7 m. tall, and 8 cm in diameter. Leaf sheath fibers remaining joined at their apices; blades divided into 25-30 leaflets. Inflorescences to 0.9 m long; fruits globose to ovoid, to 1 cm long and 0.5 cm in diameter, color; brown. (Dr. Andrew J. Henderson 2009)

Clustering hermaphroditic palm, with up to 4 stems. Stem up to 7 m tall at maturity, about 8 cm in diam., naked proximally, with close leaf sheath scars, covered distally for 1–2 m with persistent leaf sheath fibres, remaining connected in the ligule-shaped tips. Leaf petiole up to 70 cm long, more or less terete through out, 5 mm in diam.; blade rounded in outline, flattened, up to 25–40 cm in diam., deeply split into 25–30 single-fold segments, individual segments shortly indented, greyish green above, somewhat paler below with scattered brown dots. Inflorescence 70–90 cm long, rachillae numerous 7–12 cm long, minutely puberulous when young. Flowers solitary or inserted in groups of 2–3, bisexual, anout 2 x 1.5 mm, stamen filaments fused into a conspicuous about 2.5 mm long tube, shortly adnate to corolla basally, gynoecium about 1 mm long, densely covered by silky hairs. Fruit globose to ovoid, up to 1.0 x 0.5 cm, brown at maturity. (Palms of Thailand) Editing by edric.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b

Comments and Curiosities

This is a dioecious genus.

Etymology: Genus name honors Max Burret (1883-1964), German botanist.

Although there are species with extensive ranges, especially in America, most are restricted in range, and those of islands, in particular, are frequently found nowhere else. One species, Maxburretia gracilis, is limited to a few limestone outcroppings, in the Langkawi Islands off the Malay Peninsula. The island of New Caledonia has 17 genera and 32 species of palms.