Guihaia grossifibrosa

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China. Photo by Garrytsen, edric.

Guihaia grossifibrosa
Scientific Classification
Genus: Guihaia Species: grossifibrosa
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Costapalmate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

China Southeast, Vietnam.

Description

Clustering fan palm to about 1.8 m tall; stem erect or decumbent, about 1 m tall, 23 cm in diam. Leaves several in crown; sheath tubular, prolonged into a triangular tongue-like lobe to 10 cm opposite the petiole, distintegrating into a lattice of broad flat fibers but the margins remaining entire; petiole usually 40-50 cm long, the longest up to 1.8 m, ca. 3-4 mm wide, ± hemispherical in cross-section, unarmed, bearing scattered caducous scales; adaxial hastula rounded, about 6 mm x 6 mm, fringed with caducous hairs; lamina to about 35 cm in diam. at the mid-line, divided to about 'Ys or almost to the insertion into, about 10-21 single-fold (rarely two-fold) reduplicate segments up to about 15 mm wide, the outermost segments very narrow, the segment tips very briefly bifid, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface slightly paler, with very sparse dot-like scales; transverse veinlets short, conspicuous. Inflorescences 80 cm long, with 25 partial inflorescences branching to the 4th order; peduncle to about 40 cm long bearing a single peduncular bract; rachis shorter than the peduncle; rachillae to 10 cm x 1 mm or less. Staminate flower about 2.2 mm long; sepals about 0.8 x 0.8 mm, apex mucronate; corolla about 2 mm long, the lobes about 1.5 mm wide, with appendage on adaxial surface; anthers about 0.3 mm in diam. Pistillate flower about 2.2 x 1.5 mm; sepals about 1 x 1 mm ovate-orbicular, glabrous; corolla about 2 mm long, the lobes about 1.5 mm wide, with appendage on adaxial surface; staminodes minute, the empty anthers about 0.3 mm long; carpels about 0.6 x 0.4 mm. Mature fruit ± ellipsoidal, about 6-8 x 4-5 mm; epicarp blueblack; seed ± ellipsoidal about 5 x 2.5 mm. (J. Dransfield. 1985) Editing by edric.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 9a

Comments and Curiosities

"Guihaia argyrata previously called Trachycarpus argyrata. When we first found them, it reminded us of a trachycarpus and later confirmed it was not. It grows on limestone mountain with glittering snow white stuff to the underside of the leaves like T.princeps. But it is a very slow grower as compared to the latter which I think is medium one and produces only 3 -4 leaves after 2 years here. G.argyrata has a brother called G.grossefibrosa also growing on the limestone mountains. The difference in appearance between them is that G.argyrata have shorter petioles with white fur whereas G.grossefibrosa have longer ones with white powder at the backside.Both seeds are much smaller than those of T.princeps. The cold hardiness for both species could be around minus -7C to -8 C as indicated by journals." (Garrytsen), edric.

External Links

• Glossary of Palm Terms
• MODERN BOTANICAL LATIN
• "Just To Be Clear"
• http://www.palms.org/palmsjournal/2005/vol49n3p131-142.pdf

References

Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.

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

Special thanks to palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos, edric.

• IMAGE GALLERY
• 

  China. Photo by Garrytsen, edric.

• 

  China. Photo by Garrytsen, edric.

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  In habitat. Photo-Rare Palm Seeds.com

• 

  Ban Thi Municipality, Cho Don Di, Vietnam. Photo by Dr. Leonid Averyanov, edric.

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

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