Arecaceae

Chambeyronia Vieill.

First published in Bull. Soc. Linn. Normandie, sér. 2, 6: 229 (1873)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is New Caledonia.

Descriptions

Diagnostic
Moderate pinnate-leaved tree palms from New Caledonia with broad leathery-textured leaflets and relatively large frut.
Biology
Chambeyronia macrocarpa is found in wet forest or gallery forestnearly throughout New Caledonia, whereas C. lepidota occurson schistose soils only in the north-eastern part of the island.
Vernacular
Common names unknown.
Morphology
Leaf (Uhl and Martens 1980), root (Seubert 1998a,1998b), and fruit (Essig and Hernandez 2002).
General Description
Moderate, solitary, unarmed, pleonanthic, monoecious palms. Stem erect, ringed with leaf scars, enlarged at the base but roots not prominent. Leaves regularly pinnate, curved, spreading, often red when first exposed; sheath tubular, forming a prominent crownshaft, with or without a shallow notch opposite the petiole, glabrous adaxially, lightly or densely covered in scales abaxially; petiole channelled adaxially, rounded abaxially, with scattered small brown scales; leaflets acute to acuminate, single-fold, wide, waxy or glabrous adaxially, small brown scales scattered abaxially, midrib and marginal ribs large, transverse veinlets obscure or evident. Inflorescences infrafoliar, protandrous, branched to 2(–3) orders basally, to 1 order distally; peduncle very short; prophyll tubular, completely encircling the peduncle and enclosing the peduncular bract, caducous, dorsiventrally flattened, with 2 wide lateral keels, chartaceous, glabrous adaxially, lightly or densely scaly abaxially; peduncular bract lacking keels and thinner, with a more definite beak, otherwise like the prophyll; rachis longer than the peduncle bearing spirally arranged, low, or prominent pointed, bracts subtending branches or rachillae; rachillae rather stout, tapering, sinuous, lightly or densely scaly; rachilla bracts prominent, spreading or ascending, spirally arranged, subtending triads of flowers basally and paired or solitary staminate flowers distally, the triads rather distant, sometimes appearing as though impressed in the axis; bracteoles surrounding the pistillate flower unequal, not sepal-like, the larger one shorter or exceeding the triad bract. Staminate flowers asymmetrical to subsymmetrical; sepals 3, distinct, acute to long pointed; petals 3, distinct, valvate, asymmetrical, angled, and strongly nerved to nearly symmetrical and smooth when dry; stamens 19–55, filaments awl-shaped, briefly inflexed, anthers erect in bud, linear, dorsifixed, bifid basally, emarginate apically, latrorse, the connective elongate; pistillode lacking. Pollen grains ellipsoidal, slight or obvious asymmetry; aperture a distal sulcus; ectexine tectate, perforate-rugulate, aperture margin similar; infratectum columellate; longest axis ranging from 45–75 µm [2/2]. Pistillate flowers symmetrical; sepals 3, distinct, broadly imbricate, acute; petals 3, distinct, broadly imbricate with prominently valvate apices; staminodes 3, small, tooth-like, borne at one side of the gynoecium; gynoecium with 3 spreading stigmas, unilocular, uniovulate, ovule laterally attached, hemianatropous. Fruit subglobose to ovoid, with apical stigmatic remains; epicarp smooth, underlain by a mesocarp of oblique, short, pale sclereids over parenchyma with dispersed tannin cells and stout, flat, longitudinal, anastomosing fibres adherent to the endocarp, endocarp thin, fragile, not operculate. Seed attached by an elongate lateral hilum, raphe branches numerous, anastomosing, endosperm homogeneous; embryo basal. Germination adjacent-ligular; eophyll bifid. Cytology: 2n = 32.
Distribution
Two species in New Caledonia.
[PW]

Diagnostic
Small to moderate tree palms from New Caledonia with divaricate inflorescences.
Biology
Individuals are small relative to those of other genera in the Archontophoenicinae and seldom reach the forest canopy. Where Actinokentia divaricata and A. huerlimannii are sympatric on the flanks of Mont Nekando, they appear to occupy different habitats and exposures.
General Description
Solitary, small to moderate, unarmed, pleonanthic, monoecious palms. Stem slender, erect, prominently ringed with somewhat sunken leaf scars, sometimes with prickly roots. Leaves pinnate; sheaths thick, forming a crownshaft; petiole short, rounded abaxially, channelled adaxially, or elongate and terete; leaflets regularly arranged, lanceolate, acute to tapering, single-fold, adaxially waxy or glabrous, abaxially waxy tomentose with large ramenta along the midribs, midribs conspicuous, second largest ribs those along margins, transverse veinlets not evident. Inflorescences infrafoliar, protandrous, divaricately branched to 3 orders basally, 1–2 orders distally; peduncle short; prophyll tubular, pointed, rather thin, indistinctly 2-keeled, completely encircling the peduncle at insertion and enclosing the peduncular bract, caducous; peduncular bract like the prophyll but lacking keels; rachis longer than the peduncle bearing spirally arranged, spreading, acute bracts subtending branches and rachillae; rachilla bracts prominent, rounded, lip-like and shorter than the flowers or acute and exceeding the flowers, subtending triads basally, paired or solitary staminate flowers distally, in broadened depressions in the rachillae; bracteoles surrounding the pistillate flower sepal-like, outermost bracteole prominent, ca. 1/2 as long or as long as the inner bracteoles. Staminate flowers symmetrical, larger at anthesis than the pistillate buds; sepals 3, distinct, broadly imbricate and rounded, scarcely longer than broad, the outer often prominently keeled or pouch-like near the apex; petals 3, distinct, valvate, boat-shaped; stamens 19–50, filaments erect or nearly so at the apex in bud, anthers erect in bud, linear, dorsifixed, slightly emarginate apically, bifid basally, latrorse, the connective elongate; pistillode as long as the stamens in bud, tapered to a slender apex from a broad base. Pollen ellipsoidal or asymmetric to pyriform; aperture a distal sulcus; ectexine tectate, perforate, aperture margin similar or slightly finer; infratectum columellate; longest axis 48–60 µm [1/2]. Pistillate flowers, buds usually well developed at staminate anthesis, symmetrical; sepals 3, distinct, broadly imbricate and rounded; petals 3, distinct, imbricate except for briefly valvate apices; staminodes 3, small, tooth-like, borne at one side of the gynoecium; gynoecium unilocular, uniovulate, stigmas 3, prominent, recurved, ovule pendulous, hemianatropous. Fruit ellipsoidal with apical stigmatic remains; epicarp smooth, mesocarp underlain by a shell of short, pale sclereids, elliptic in outline at surface, the sclereid shell over parenchyma with flat, anastomosing longitudinal fibres adherent to the endocarp, tannin cells lacking, or few and interspersed among the fibres, endocarp thin, fragile, not operculate. Seed attached by an elongate hilum, raphe branches anastomosing, endosperm homogeneous; embryo basal. Germination adjacent-ligular; eophyll bifid. Cytology not known.
Distribution
Two species in New Caledonia, occurring in wet forests on serpentine soils from 60–1000 m in the southern part of the island.
Vernacular
Common names unknown.
Morphology
Leaf (Uhl and Martens 1980) and fruit (Essig and Hernandez 2002).
[PW]

General Description
Solitary, tall, unarmed, pleonanthic, monoecious palms. Stem erect, thick basally, grey, ringed with ± somewhat prominent, rather close leaf scars and with exposed roots at the base. Leaves pinnate, erect or spreading, neatly abscising; sheaths forming a prominent crownshaft; petiole channelled adaxially, rounded abaxially; leaflets regularly arranged, lanceolate, acute to acuminate, single-fold, adaxially glabrous and with wax, abaxially densely covered with small punctiform scales and abundant ramenta along ribs, midrib prominent, marginal ribs second in size to midrib, numerous secondary ribs conspicuous abaxially, transverse veinlets not evident. Inflorescences infrafoliar, branched to (2)–3–(4) orders basally, 1–2 orders distally, protandrous; peduncle very short, variously tomentose; prophyll and peduncular bract caducous, prophyll completely encircling the peduncle and enclosing the peduncular bract, briefly beaked, flat, keeled laterally, rather thin, chartaceous, both surfaces densely covered in whitish deciduous tomentum; peduncular bract like the prophyll but lacking keels; rachis elongate, longer than the peduncle, bearing spirally arranged, low, rounded, ± ruffled bracts subtending the branches and rachillae; rachillae rather slender to stout, about equal in length, straight or curved, usually glabrous, bearing spirally arranged prominent, rounded, lip-like bracts subtending flowers borne in triads of 2 staminate and a pistillate nearly throughout the rachillae, a few paired or solitary staminate flowers present distally; bracteoles surrounding the pistillate flower low, unequal, rounded, not sepal-like. Staminate flowers symmetrical or somewhat asymmetrical; sepals 3, distinct, ± deltoid, ± acute, imbricate basally, scarcely higher than wide; petals 3, valvate, angled, acute; stamens 11–38, shorter than, equalling or exceeding the petals, filaments erect at the apex in bud, anthers erect in bud, linear, dorsifixed, emarginate apically, bifid basally, latrorse, the connective elongate; pistillode nearly as high as the stamens (lacking, according to Beccari), with an attenuate, sometimes briefly trifid apex. Pollen ellipsoidal or oblate triangular, slight or obvious asymmetry; aperture a distal sulcus or trichotomosulcus; ectexine tectate, perforate or perforate-rugulate, aperture margin similar or slightly finer; infratectum columellate; longest axis ranging from 39–52 µm [1/4]. Pistillate flowers symmetrical; sepals 3, distinct, broadly imbricate; petals 3, distinct, broadly imbricate with valvate apices; staminodes 3, small, tooth-like, borne at one side of the gynoecium, or 6 and connate in a ring; gynoecium pseudomonomerous, with 3 prominent, recurved stigmas, unilocular, uniovulate, ovule pendulous. Fruit ellipsoidal, red or purplish at maturity with apical or subapical stigmatic remains; epicarp smooth, drying minutely pebbled, mesocarp consisting of a shell of pale, short, ellipsoidal sclereids over pale parenchyma with a few included longitudinal fibres and at maturity a layer of tannin cells adjacent to flat, anastomosing fibres adherent to the endocarp, endocarp thin, fragile, not operculate. Seed ellipsoid or pyriform, attached by an elongate hilum, the raphe branches numerous, anastomosing, endosperm homogeneous; embryo basal. Germination adjacent-ligular; eophyll bifid, seedlings sometimes displaying saxophone growth, sometimes with distichous leaves. Cytology: 2n = 32
Biology
One species, Kentiopsis pyriformis, is found on ultramafic rock while the other three are found on schistose rocks. Kentiopsis oliviformis grows in forest transitional to semihumid forest and K. piersoniorum grows on exposed wet shrubby vegetation onmontane ridges. All four species tend to grow gregariously, forming spectacular colonies. Kentiopsis magnifica is the tallest and stateliest palm in New Caledonia. For further details, seePintaud and Hodel (1998).
Vernacular
No common names recorded.
Morphology
Leaf (Uhl and Martens 1980), root (Seubert 1998a,1998b) and fruit (Essig and Hernandez 2002).
Distribution
Four species in New Caledonia.
Diagnostic
Tall pinnate-leaved palms from New Caledonia with broom-like inflorescences.
[PW]

Uses

Use
Chambeyronia macrocarpa is probably the most widely cultivated New Caledonian palm.
[PW]

Use
Actinokentia divaricata was reported to be introduced into cultivation in Europe more than a century ago; recent introductions have been made and both species are now cultivated as ornamentals.
[PW]

Use
Several of the species are becoming widespread in cultivation.
[PW]

Sources

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Palmweb - Palms of the World Online

    • Palmweb 2011. Palmweb: Palms of the World Online. Published on the internet http://www.palmweb.org. Accessed on 21/04/2013
    • Content licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0