Linospadix palmerianus

Description

Clustering small palm. Stems 1-6, to 2 m tall, 8-20 mm in diam.; internodes elongate, green; crown with 8-12 leaves. Leaves regularly segmented with united pinnae, most often with two segments either side of rachis, infrequently simply bifid, segments with broad bases, or regularly and finely pinnate; petiole 5.5-13 cm long; pinnae 2-24 per leaf, dull to semiglossy dark green above, lighter green below; midrib prominent on both surfaces, veins numerous and prominent on both surfaces, terminal pinnae broader than laterals; lamina, when backlit under 10X magnification, with numerous circular clear "cells" to 0.1 mm wide, linearly parallel to midrib and veins. Inflorescence to 60 cm long. Staminate flowers squatly bullet-shaped in bud, glabrous, to 3 X 2 mm; petals apically rounded, green at anthesis, not widely opening, deeply striated in the dried state; stamens 6-9; connective not extending beyond the anthers; anthers oblong. Fruit elongate/cylindricall, 0 -15 cm X 5-7 mm, yellow or red at maturity; epicarp smooth or with barely discernible rugose appearance.