Ptychosperma

Labillardiere

Memoires de la Classe des Sciences Mathematiques et Physiques de L'Institut National de France 1808(2): 252. 1809.

Common names: Solitaire palm MacArthur palm
Etymology: Greek ptyx, folded, and sperma, seed, in reference to the ridged endocarp
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 22. Treatment on page 118.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA22 P22 Dypsis Roystonia Ptychosperma pg 116.jpegRoystonea regia
Dypsis lutescens
Ptychosperma macarthurii

Stems solitary or clustereding, less than 15 cm in diam., unarmed. Leaves: sheath green, unarmed, forming crownshaft; blade pinnate, unarmed; plication reduplicate; segments in 1 plane, usually cuneate, apices jagged and irregular, cleft. Inflorescences axillary below crown of leaves, paniculate, with 2 or 3 orders of branching, pendulous; prophyll short; peduncular bract tubular; secondary peduncular bracts often present, incomplete. Flowers unisexual, sessile, in triads of 1 pistillate flower flanked by 2 staminate flowers. Staminate flowers: sepals 3, imbricate, free; petals 3, valvate, free; stamens [9–] 25–34 [or more], in whorls of 3 or more; pistillode present, with slender style. Pistillate flowers: sepals 3, imbricate, free; petals 3, imbricate, free; staminode lobes or scales present; pistils 1; ovules 1; styles indistinct; stigmas 3. Fruits drupes, small; exocarp red [black], smooth; mesocarp fleshy; endocarp bony, 5-lobed in cross-section [obscurely lobed]. Seeds ovoid; endosperm homogeneous or ruminate; embryo basal; eophyll 2-cleft, segments linear, apices jagged and irregular.

Distribution

Introduced; Fla., Pacific Islands, Australia

Discussion

This genus is popular in cultivation. Two species have sporadically naturalized sporadically in Dade County, Florida. The fruits are red and fleshy, and birds undoubtedly disperse the seeds.

Species 28 (2 in the flora).

Key

1 Stems solitary Ptychosperma elegans
1 Stems clustering Ptychosperma macarthurii
... more about "Ptychosperma"
dorsifixed +  and basifixed +
Scott Zona +
Labillardiere +
Solitaire palm +  and MacArthur palm +
Fla. +, Pacific Islands +  and Australia +
2-cleft +  and lanceolate +
Greek ptyx, folded, and sperma, seed, in reference to the ridged endocarp +
adnate +, connate +  and distinct +
pistillate +, staminate +  and sessile +
adnate +, connate +  and distinct +
2 +  and 1 +
berrylike +  and drupaceous +
apical +  and basal +
branched +  and spicate +
2-pinnate +  and pinnate +
bearing prickles or marginal teeth +  and unarmed +
ridged +, channeled +  and terete +
list +  and count +
v--shaped +  and tent--shaped +
germination +
Memoires de la Classe des Sciences Mathematiques et Physiques de L'Institut National de France +
zona1999a +
adventitious +
adhering to endocarp +  and free +
bearing prickles +  and unarmed +
25 +  and 34 +
covered with fibrous or prickly remains +  and smooth +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (?) +  and 15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (?) +
subterranean +
erect +  and creeping +
enlarged;massive;slender +
connate +  and distinct +
Palmae +
Ptychosperma +
Arecaceae (tribe Areceae) subtribe Ptychospermatinae +
unbranched +  and branched +
plant +, shrub +  and tree +
unisexual +  and bisexual +