Difference between revisions of "Carpentaria acuminata"

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Fairchild Tropical Garden, Coconut Grove.

Carpentaria acuminata
AUSTRALIA: Darwin, 1964.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Carpentaria Species: acuminata
Synonyms
Kentia acuminata
Native Continent
Oceania
Morphology
Habit: Solitary Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Carpentaria Palm

Habitat and Distribution

Escape Cliffs, NE of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Occurs in the top end of the NT. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 200 m. Grows in canopy or subcanopy of rainforest, Allosyncarpia forest, vine forest and swamp forest on sandy to heavy clay lom soils.

Description

Solitary palm 9-30 m tall with a DBH of 15-20 cm, grey to light tan with widely spaced rings. Leaves 10-12 per plant. Leaves pinnate, 2-4 m long, arching; pinnae many, narrow, arching, 40-60 x 1.2-1.5 cm long, deep green. Crownshaft smooth, green. Inflorescence arise from the upper leaf bases, and then progressively down the trunk, 1-2 m long with flower clusters 90-120 cm long, pendant, much branched, beneath the crown shaft bearing white male and female flowers. Flowers ca. 10 mm across. Sepals 3, petals 3 and the flowers in groups of 3, with 1 female between 2 male flowers. Male flowers with 30-40 stamens. Fruit globular and up to 20 mm diameter, scarlet when ripe with up to 3 seeds within. Seeds smooth.

Culture

Curiosities

May be confused with Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, which has pink to lavender flowers and all linear leaflets, rather than white to greenish-white flowers and broad apical leaflets in Carpentaria acuminata; Veitchia sp. which have leaflets that are drooping, rather than held in a V-shape.

References

Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos.

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