Hydriastele longispatha

Description

Tall slender palms to 24 m or more in height; stem l0-25 cm in diameter; leaves 16-19 in a crown, strongly arcuate, sheath 95-120 cm long, petiole 12-20 cm long, blade about 240-250 cm long, petiole and rachis thickly brown-lepidote above and below; pinnae erect: but drooping at the tips, 50 69 on each side of the rachis, 65-95 cm long, 2.I-4 cm wide, deeply bifid at the apex, with the upper margin much prolonged, upper surface minutely and sparsely dotted, the lower surface the same and with several to many large, pale ramenta on the midrib (lacking in Mt. Suckling population). Inflorescence 60-90 cm long, branching to 2 orders, axes and flowers white, glabrous; rachillae about 50-60 cm long, l-4 mm wide, bearing 80-185 triads. Staminate flowers l0-18 mm long, with 9-24 stamens. PistilIate flowers 2-3.5 mm high, with 2-3 staminodes; fruit bright red, subglobose, 7-13 X 4-9 mm when dry; endosperm homogeneous.