Family Arecaceae > Subfamily Arecoideae > Tribe Chamaedoreeae.
Native to Mauritius there are only 5 (endangered) species.
Fully grown palms are around 6 m high.
Some are sold as ornamentals.
A solitary palm with a greyish trunk and close ring scars.
In two species the base of the trunk is swollen.
The pinnate leaves have a short petiole with a grooved upper surface.
Leaf sheaths form a prominent green crownshaft.
Along the midrib are longitudinally folded leaflets.
Leaflets have a pointed tip and prominent veins beside the midrib.
The lower surface has large scales (rameta).
Inflorescences grow from below the crownshaft.
The long semi-erect peduncle has a short prophyll (bract) that falls early.
There are a number of deciduous peduncular bracts.
Inflorescences are a panicle that is branched up to 4 times.
The midrib or rachis is longer than the peduncle.
The side branches have a small deciduous basal bract.
The terminal pendulous rachillae have spirally arranged groups of flowers.
Flowers are in groups (acervuli) of up to 8 arranged in 2 lines down the rachillae.
The single female flower is at the base of each group.
Flowers have tiny bracteoles that fall before the flowers are mature.
Flowers have no pedicel.
Male flowers.
The first of the up to 7 male flowers to open is that furthest from the female.
The others open in succession down to the female.
They fall when their pollen is shed and before the female is mature.
The 3 wide ovate green sepals overlap or are shortly joined at the base.
The 3 petals are initially joined at the base with their free edges touching.
At maturity the edges separate and the cream or white petals spread out.
The 6 stamen filaments are fused and insert onto the petals or form a short tube.
Dorsifixed anthers open sideways and there is a short or minute pistillode.
Female flowers.
The 3 wide sepals are yellow-green and the 3 white, cream, orange or yellow petals spread out.
The bases of the 6 staminode lobes are fused.
The superior ovary has 3 locules each with 1 ovule.
The 3 stigmas curve back and there are nectaries beside the ovary.
The ellipsoid to almost round fruit have the sepals, petals and stigmas attached.
The smooth outer coat matures from green to red or orange then black.
The fleshy layer around the usually single seed has a few fibres.
J.F.
