Balaka insularis
| Balaka insularis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Subfamily: | Arecoideae |
| Tribe: | Areceae |
| Subtribe: | Ptychospermatinae |
| Genus: | Balaka |
| Species: | B. insularis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Balaka insularis Zona & W.J.Baker
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
Solfia samoensis | |
Balaka insularis is a rare species of flowering plant in the palm family endemic to Samoa. It was formerly placed in the monotypic genus Solfia with the species name Solfia samoensis.[2] It was placed in the genus Balaka in 2014.[3]
Description
[edit | edit source]The trunk is solitary and ringed, colored brown, no more than 8 cm wide. The sheath of the pinnate leaf is extended, wrapping around the trunk to form a tall, slender crownshaft. The petiole is short, the thin rachis bears regularly spaced, reduplicate leaflets with a prominent midrib and jagged ends. The inflorescence emerges below the crownshaft, initially enclosed by a prophyll, with a single peduncular bract. Monoecious, there are staminate and pistillate flowers present in each plant, borne on the rachillae as triads of two males surrounding one female. Fleshy and red when ripe, the fruit becomes wrinkled when dry, carrying one seed with homogeneous endosperm.[4]
Distribution and habitat
[edit | edit source]Balaka insularis is one of the palms confined to Samoa, growing in wet, mountainous, montane rain and cloud forests, exceeding 500 m. Palms endemic to Samoa also include Balaka samoensis, Balaka tahitensis, and Clinostigma samoense.
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- ^ Zona S, Baker WJ. 2014. Solfia transferred to Balaka. Palms 58: 191–192.
- ^ 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. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). / Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
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