CHRYSALIDOCARPUS

Chrysalidocarpus H. Wendl., Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 36: 117. 1878.

15 species

Chrysalidocarpus leutescens

Chrysalidocarpus leutescens H. Wendl., Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 36: 117. 1878; Dypsis lutescens (H. Wendl.) Beentje & J. Dransfield, Palms Madagascar. 212. 1995; Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 22; Palmwrb-Palms of the World online; Areca flavescens Voss, Vilm. Blumegartn., ed. 3. 1: 1153. 1895.

Trunks erect, clustered, 4-20 plants in a tuft. Stems 1-7 m high, 5-12 cm in diameter; stems with conspicuous nodal rings, internodes 2-12 cm, yellowish or pale grey-brown, more distally green to grey with waxy white bloom. Leaves 5-11, spiral or more often tristichous, strongly arching, 1.3- 2.25 m long; sheath yellowish with white waxy bloom, 28-60 cm long, 11-15 cm diameter, abaxially with dense scattered scales distally, adaxially orange and glabrous, with small ligule (to 3 mm) or with rounded shoulders; petiole 19-48 cm long, channeled with sharp edges, yellow or yellowish orange with few abaxial scales; rachis 1-2 m long, with a median adaxial ridge proximally channelled ca. 1 cm diameter gradually reduced in diameter towards apex. Leaflets 25-60 on each side of rachis, regular at an interval of ca. 2-4 cm, stiff, in one plane on each side of rachis, adaxially green, abaxially slightly waxy and grey, the proximal 35-65 cm x 0.6-2 cm, median 45-70 cm x 1.3-3 cm, distal 7-37 cm x 0.6-1.5 cm (terminal pair joined for up to 4 cm), the apices attenuate with 5-9 faint veins but with only midrib very prominent on both surfaces. Inflorescence interfoliar, spreading, with spreading rachillae, branched to 3 orders; peduncle 35-80 cm long, flattened ca. 1.3-3 cm diameter, glabrous; borne up to 45 cm above the base of peduncle, prophyll 30-100 cm x 3.3-4 cm with narrow wings, split only at the apex for 7-16 cm; peduncular bract inserted at 35-65 cm from base of peduncle, 48-60 cm long, pale brown, waxy, glabrous or with few scattered scales; non-tubular peduncular bracts few, 3-5 cm x 10-12 mm. Rachis 20-110 cm, glabrous, bearing rachillae: 5-13 branched and 8-14 unbranched first order branches (the proximal of these with flattened bases subtended by bracts of 6-7 mm high); the ultimate branches, the secondary or tertiary rachillae, 6-30 cm long, 2-5 mm diameter; triads of flowers distant proximally, more dense distally, inserted in shallow pits.

Male Flowers: Sepals ca. 1.7 mm x 2.2 mm, hooded, keeled; petals connate for 1-1.3 mm at base, lobes 3, 1.3-2.2 mm x 2-2.3 mm, ovate, acute; stamens 6, uniseriate filaments 2.8 mm long; anthers 1.6-1.8 x 0.8 mm, dorsifixed; pistillode ca. 2.5 mm x 0.4 mm. Female Flowers: Sepals 2-2.2 mm x 2.4-2.5 mm, hooded, not keeled. Petals 3, free, 2.8-3.2 mm x 2.3-3 mm, orbicular or broadly ovate with small apicula. Staminodes 0.3- 0.4 mm, thin empty. Ovary 3 x 1.4 mm, stigma small. (Flowers not observed)

Fruit yellow, ellipsoid to obovoid, 12-18 mm x 7-10 mm, apex pointed. Seed ovoid, 11-16 mm x 6-9.5 mm, endosperm homogeneous.

Flowering and Fruiting: March to August
Common Names: Golden Cane Palm, Areca Palm, Butterfly Palm