Myrialepis paradoxa

Description

Robust clustering thicket-forming rattan with stems ultimately to 40 m or more, without sheaths to about 4 cm in diam., with sheaths to 7 cm, much less in juvenile plants; internodes to 40 cm, the surface covered in reddish-brown scales. Leaf-sheaths coarse, sparsely to densely covered in reddish-brown scales and variously armed; sheaths of juvenile stems with neat distant whorls of long pale straw-coloured spines to 4 cm; mature sheaths with much fewer, ± scattered or slightly grouped spines; knee absent. Ocrea very incon- spicuous, scarcely developed. Leaf 3-5 m including petiole 5-20 x 2 cm and cirrus to 1.5 m; leaflets rather coarse and distant ± regular or grouped in 2's-3's, to 45 x 5 cm, with few to many marginal spines to 3 mm, concolorous but with scattered scales on abaxial surface. Staminate and pistillate inflorescences superficially similar, to 75 cm or more long, with up to 25 pendulous or twisting branches to 30 cm. Staminate flower to 4 x 1.5 mm; calyx tubular in lower 1 mm, with 3 triangular apiculate lobes to 1 x 1 mm; corolla tubular in basal about 1 mm with 3 triangular tipped petals to 3 x 1.5 mm; lobes of androecial ring to 4 x 0.5 mm, with pendulous filaments to 1.5 x 0.1 mm, and anthers to 1.2 x 0.4 mm, oblong, sometimes somewhat sagittate. Pistillate flower to 4.5 x 3 mm; calyx tubular in lower 1 mm, with 3 triangular lobes to 1 x 3 mm; corolla tubular in basal 1 mm with 3 triangular petals to 3.5 x 3 mm; staminodal ring tubular in basal 1.5 mm, bearing 6 triangular lobes to 1 x 1 mm; empty anthers sagittate to 0.4 x 0.2 mm; ovary spherical about 2.5 mm in diam. tipped with stigmas to 0.7 mm; scales about 0.1 x 0.05 mm. Ripe fruit somewhat oblate to 2.5 x 3 cm tipped with black stigmas, covered in greenish grey scales like sharkskin.