Sommieria

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Sommieria
Sommieria leucophylla.jpg
Sommieria leucophylla - Kew Gardens
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Subfamily: Arecoideae
Tribe: Pelagodoxeae
Genus: Sommieria
Becc. [1]
Species:
S. leucophylla
Binomial name
Sommieria leucophylla

Sommieria is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family endemic to New Guinea (Papua New Guinea and West Papua in Indonesia) where they grow in rain forest understory. The sole species is Sommieria leucophylla. They resemble the Asterogyne palms but are most closely related to those members of Heterospathe with short stems and sparsely branched inlforescences. [2] The name honors Stephen Sommier, European botanist. [3]

Contents

Description

A solitary plant, the trunk may or may not emerge above ground level and lacks armament. The short petiole and numerous leaves give it a full crown, each leaf is undivided, irregularly divided, or deeply bifid, with densely tomentose sheaths which disintegrate into a mass of fibers at the base. The inflorescence is interfoliar and erect, about as long as the leaves and branched to one order. The peduncle is long and slender, the single peduncular bract is tubular and borne at the tip of the peduncle, enclosing the flowers before antithesis. The short rachis usually bears few rachillae, spirally arranged, each subtended by a small bract.

The staminate flowers are asymmetrical and borne in triads with three distinct, valvate sepals and three thick petals. There are around 60 stamens with very short filaments, the elongated, basifixed anthers carry triangle shaped pollen with reticulate, tectate exine. The pistillate flowers become larger than the male's, the three sepals have rounded sides and pointed tips and the petals are asymmetrical with thick valvate tips. There are three to six small, triangular staminodes and the gynoecium is ovoid and covered in brown scales. The three stigmas are apical and reflexed; the ovule is pendulous. The red epicarp of the small round fruit breaks away in age exposing the brown, warty mesocarp. The single seed is spherical with homogeneous endosperm and a subbasal embryo.

Distribution and habitat

It is found in West Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea where it is restricted to dense rain forest understory. There they grow in constant shade or filtered light with high humidity and regular rainfall. They are not commonly cultivated and have no known uses.

Related Research Articles

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<i>Calyptrocalyx</i> Genus of palms

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<i>Actinorhytis</i> Genus of palms

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<i>Dictyocaryum</i> Genus of palms

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<i>Heterospathe</i> Genus of palms

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<i>Hydriastele</i> Genus of palms

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<i>Lepidorrhachis</i>

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<i>Ceratolobus</i> Genus of palms

Ceratolobus is a dioecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in Southeast Asia, commonly called rotan. They are only differentiated from close relatives like Korthalsia, Calamus, and Daemonorops by leaf sheath appendages or inflorescence variations. The Greek genus name combines "horn" and "capsule".

<i>Oraniopsis</i> Genus of palms

Oraniopsis is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family from Queensland, Australia, where the only known species, Oraniopsis appendiculata, grows in mountainous rain forest. Dioecious and extremely slow growing, the name means "similar to Orania" and the Latin epithet translates to "appendaged".

Plectocomiopsis is a dioecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in Indochina, Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. Hapaxanthic and armed with spines, they are a climbing rattan, closely related to the Myrialepis palms. The name is Greek for "similar to Plectocomia", another close relative.

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<i>Ptychococcus</i> Genus of palms

Ptychococcus is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. They are closely related to Ptychosperma, only differentiated by the seed shape and endocarp type. The name is a combination of the Greek for "fold" and the Latin for "berry".

Retispatha is a rare, monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family endemic to Borneo, where the sole species, Retispatha dumetosa, is known as wi tebu bruang or "the bear's sugar cane". The name combines Latin and Greek words meaning "network" and "spathe", and the species epithet means "bushy". While classified with other rattans, they retain only superficial climbing organs; they sprawl and lean but are not true climbers.

Sclerosperma is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in Africa where three species are known. Having no obvious relatives, it does resemble the Madagascar native Marojejya though a detailed study of Madagascar's palms is required to determine if any true relationship exists. The lack of relatives, and its interesting qualities, indicate, at one time, the existence of a diverse African palm flora. The name is from two Greek words meaning "hard" and "seed".

<i>Synechanthus</i> Genus of palms

Synechanthus is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in Mexico, Central and South America. Commonly called bola, palmilla, or jelly bean palm, they are closely related to members of Chamaedorea, only distinguished by their flower and fruit form. The Greek genus name is a combination of "united" and "flower".

<i>Cyphophoenix alba</i> Species of palm

Cyphophoenix alba is a species of palm in the family Arecaceae endemic to New Caledonia. It was previously placed in the genus Veillonia.

References

  1. Beccari, Malesia 1:66. 1877.
  2. Uhl, Natalie W. and Dransfield, John (1987) Genera Palmarum - A classification of palms based on the work of Harold E. Moore. Lawrence, Kansas: Allen Press. ISBN   0-935868-30-5 / ISBN   978-0-935868-30-2
  3. Riffle, Robert L. and Craft, Paul (2003) An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms. Portland: Timber Press. ISBN   0-88192-558-6 / ISBN   978-0-88192-558-6