Caryota zebrina Hambali, Maturb., Heatubun & J.Dransf.

Baker, W.J., Barfod, A.S., Cámara-Leret, R., Dowe, J.L., Heatubun, C.D., Petoe, P., Turner, J.H., Zona, S. & Dransfield, J. (2024) Palms of New Guinea. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond. 726 pp.

Morphology General Habit

Robust, single-stemmed tree palm to 16 m tall

Morphology Stem

Stems ca. 20–40 cm diam.; internodes 30–40 cm long, cracking longitudinally, with thick brown tomentum

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 6–8 in crown, 5–7 m long; sheath 1–2 m long, ca. 15 cm wide, fibrous along margins, in mature leaves covered in dull brown tomentum, in juveniles zebra-striped with bands of pale and dark indumentum; petiole ca. 1–2 m long, ca. 2.6 cm diam., in young leaves zebra-striped as sheath; rachis to 5 m long; primary leaflets ca. 20 on each side of the rachis, held in different planes, mid-leaf primary leaflets ca. 150 cm long, distal to 100 cm long; secondary leaflets drying pale coloured, ca. 7–11 on each side of the secondary rachis, to ca. 26 × 7 cm, irregularly wedge- shaped, leathery, glabrous above, with bands of brown scales below

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences 1–2.5 m long, branching to 2 orders; peduncle to 30 cm long, covered in brown tomentum; peduncular bracts tubular, tomentose; rachillae of various lengths, longest to at least 1 m, 3–4 mm diam., with brown indumentum

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Male flower ca. 14 × 7 mm, stamens ca. 28 Female flower 10.0 × 3.5 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit ripening white, then red, globose to 15 × 25 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 2, hemispherical, ca. 12 × 15 × 8 mm; endosperm homogeneous; embryo lateral.

Distribution

Cyclops and Torricelli Mountains in northern New Guinea.

Ecology

In montane forest at 850–1,500 m elevation.

Vernacular

Palem belang, Palem tokek (Bahasa Indonesia names in horticulture).

Conservation

Endangered (IUCN 2021). Caryota zebrina has a restricted distribution. Deforestation due to logging and mining concessions is a major threat in its distribution range.

Note

Immediately distinguished by the extraordinary zebra-striping on young leaves. The primary leaflets are also unusual in being held in different planes, giving the whole leaf a rather untidy appearance. The inflorescence branches to two orders (only one in C. rumphiana). The seed has homogeneous endosperm whereas C. rumphiana has ruminate endosperm. The unusual, patterned indumentum and the homogeneous endosperm are found elsewhere in the genus only in the very similar C. ophiopellis in Vanuatu (Dransfield et al. 2000a).

Use

Apart from horticultural value, probably too scarce to be of use to local people.