Lanonia gracilis

Description

Stems clustered, to 1 m tall, to 2 cm diameter, erect. Leaves ca. 40; leaf sheaths to 30 cm long, extended above the petioles into 2.5�4.5 cm long auricles; petioles to 100 cm long, the proximal half or less with widely spaced, brown spines 0.3�0.5 cm long; blades to 75 cm wide, split into 8�14 segments, with scattered, minute, reddish-brown scales abaxially, with straight sides; costas 6.5�7.5 cm long; middle segment split almost to the base of the blade (to apex of costa) into 2 lobes, these only slightly wider than the other segments, 30�41 cm long, 8.5�10 cm wide at the apices; indentations leading to adaxial folds to 0.6 cm deep, those leading to abaxial folds to 0.2 cm deep, indentations deeper on lateral segments. Inflorescences to 30 cm long, erect among the leaves; prophylls 9�10 cm long; peduncles 9�15 cm long; rachis short or absent, with 1�2 partial inflorescence, these branched to 2 orders, subtended by broad, flattened, brown tomentose rachis bracts, these splitting laterally; staminate rachillae 4�11 on each partial inflorescence, 6.5�10.5 cm long, 1.2�1.9 mm diameter, moderately covered with brown hairs; floral stalks scarcely developed, solitary or borne in groups of 2�3, each subtended by small bracteoles; staminate flower buds 3.5�4 mm long, bullet-shaped; calyces 2 mm long, 3-lobed at the apices, glabrous; corollas 3.5 mm long, split for almost all their length into 3 valvate petals, glabrous; staminal rings 0.5 mm long; filaments free for ca. 1 mm, alternately long and short; anthers 0.5 mm long; pistillate rachillae 8�9 on each partial inflorescence, 7�13.5 cm long, 1.5�2 mm diameter, hairy as the staminate rachillae; floral stalks scarcely developed, solitary, each subtended by bracteoles; pistillate flower buds 4 mm long, bullet-shaped; calyces 2.5 mm long, briefly 3-lobed at the apices, glabrous; corollas 3 mm long, split for almost all their length into 3 petals;