Eremospatha hookeri (G.Mann & H.Wendl.) H.Wendl., Palmiers : 244 (1878)

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Cabinda present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Cameroon present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Congo present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Equatorial Guinea present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Gabon present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Ghana present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Ivory Coast present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Nigeria present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Sierra Leone present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Zaire present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
This species has a distinct Guineo-Congolian distribution primarily in the northernmost part of the Congo Basin. (Sunderland, T.C.H. 2012: A taxonomic revision of the rattans of Africa (Arecaceae: Calamoideae). – Phytotaxa 51: 1-76)A

Biology And Ecology

  • Eremospatha hookeri is particularly shade tolerant and is often found under a forest canopy. However, this species is also common in gaps and in forest margins and is found in a wide range of edaphic conditions, from swamp vegetation to well-drained volcanic soil. (Sunderland, T.C.H. 2012: A taxonomic revision of the rattans of Africa (Arecaceae: Calamoideae). – Phytotaxa 51: 1-76)A

Conservation

  • Least concern (LC) (Sunderland, T.C.H. 2012: A taxonomic revision of the rattans of Africa (Arecaceae: Calamoideae). – Phytotaxa 51: 1-76)A

Etymology

  • Named after Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817-1911), botanist, and former Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (Sunderland, T.C.H. 2012: A taxonomic revision of the rattans of Africa (Arecaceae: Calamoideae). – Phytotaxa 51: 1-76)A

Description

  • Clustered moderate to robust palm climbing to 30 m. Stems often branching, circular in cross-section, without sheaths, 15-20 mm in diameter, with 20-30 mm; internodes 16-20 cm long, commonly less (10-12 cm). Leaf sheath longitudinally striate, sparsely to profusely covered with caducous black indumentum, or indumentum absent; ocrea entire, obliquely truncate, or with high rounded lobe adaxial to the rachis, often drying grey-brown; knee linear, 1.5-3 cm long, somewhat abrupt at base. Juvenile stems up to 15m long; stem with sheath <1.5 cm in diameter; ocrea with linear wrinkle on adaxial side; petiole 8-10 cm long, armed along the margins with inequidistant, reflexed, bulbous-based black-tipped spines; leaves bifid, becoming pinnate, up to 20 cm long × 15 cm broad, deeply notched with rounded, somewhat rectangular lobes; cirrus up to 60 cm long, emerging from the centre; elaminate rachis up to 80 cm long. Leaves on mature stems sessile, up to 2.2 m long; rachis up to 1.5 m long, abaxially rounded adaxially concave, becoming rounded, rarely triangular, in cross section distally, armed as the petiole, although spines becoming more sparse distally, underside of rachis with sparse black caducous indumentum, absent distally; cirrus 50-70 cm long, armed as the rachis; leaflets up to 20 on each side, very variable in shape, obovate-elliptic, oblanceolate to almost rhomboid, bluntly contracted at base, finely to very broadly praemorse at apex, 12-22 cm long × 3.5-5.5 cm broad at the widest point, discolorous, adaxially dark green, abaxially mid-green, armed along the margins with inequidistant forward and (rarely) backward-facing black-tipped spines, c.5-7 main veins radiating from the base; lowermost leaflets smaller than the rest, linear to ovoid, reflexed and laxly to tightly clasping sheath; acanthophylls 2-2.5 cm long. Inflorescence, glabrous, up to 40 cm long; peduncle 12-18 cm long; rachis 18-22 cm long, somewhat straight; rachis bracts 0.5-1.5 mm, bluntly triangular; rachillae distichous, 8-10 on each side, 8-12 cm long, decreasing distally, adnate to the inflorescence axis for 3-7 mm, with <1 mm rounded triangular bracts subtending each dyad. Flowers not known. Fruit at maturity, 1-2-seeded, ovoid to cylindrical, 2.5-3 cm × 1.5-1.7 cm, with 20-21 vertical rows of scales. Seed compressed, 2 cm long × 1.2 cm wide × 0.6 cm thick, flattened on one side, margins somewhat wavy; embryo lateral, raised, opposite flattened side. (Sunderland, T.C.H. 2012: A taxonomic revision of the rattans of Africa (Arecaceae: Calamoideae). – Phytotaxa 51: 1-76)A

Materials Examined

  • NIGERIA: Ayewoh 3852, Ondo Province, Owo (08º25N:03º20E) juvenile, February 24, 1944 (K!); Maggs 160, Kwa Falls near Calabar (04º59N:08º20E) sterile, August 26, 1948 (K!); Mann 451, River Niger (05º00N:06º00E) Fr., August 1860 (K!); Morakinyo 1005, Cross River National Park (05º15N:08º42E) sterile, August 17, 1993 (K!); Onochie 7706, Obutung forest, Calabar (05º02N:08º21E) sterile, March 2, 1945 (K!); Tuley 651, Oban rubber estate, Calabar (05º02N:08º21E) sterile, July 12, 1964 (K!); CAMEROON: Dinklage 1155, Grand Batanga (02º23N:09º50E) sterile, February 18, 1891 (MO!); Kalbrayer 65, SW Province, sterile, July, 1904 (K!); Sunderland 2302, Korup National Park, Chimpanzee Camp (05º02N:08º48E) sterile, February 15, 2000 (K!, SCA!); Sunderland 1760, Limbe-Kumbe road: Mile 40 (04º23N:09º26E) sterile, November 11, 1996 (K!, SCA!, WAG!); Sunderland 1801, Campo Ma'an Faunal Reserve (02º10N:09º54E) sterile, March 24, 1997 (K!, YA!, BH!, NY!, MO!, WAG!); Sunderland 1890, 30km south of Kribi (02º48N:09º43E) sterile, December 2, 1997 (K!, YA!, BH!, NY!, MO!, WAG!); Sunderland 2256, Mokoko River Forest Reserve (04º29N:09º00E) sterile, February 16, 1999 (K!, SCA!, MO!); Sunderland 2257, Mokoko River Forest Reserve (04º29N:09º00E) sterile, February 16, 1999 (K!, SCA!, BR!); Sunderland 2258, Mbanga-Nkongsamba road (04º25N:09º33E) sterile, February 23, 1999 (K!, YA!, BH!, NY!); Thomas 5163, Korup National Park (05º01N:08º51E) sterile, February 20, 1986 (YA!); Thomas 10059, Mokoko River Forest Reserve (04º25N:09º02E) sterile, May 22, 1994 (SCA!); EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Sunderland 1906, near village of Njakem (01º42N:09º40E) sterile, March 24, 1998 (K!, EG!, WAG!); Sunderland 1917, 2km WSW of village of Basilé (01º10N:09º50E) sterile, April 7, 1998 (K!, EG!); GABON: le Testu s.n., Haute-Ngounye (00º22S:10º27E) sterile, s.d. (BR!); CONGO: Bermejo 88, Parc National d?Odzala (00º36N:14º54E) sterile, 1993 (BR!); Thomas et al. 8944, Bessié village (01º54N:13º56E) sterile, November 23, 1991 (MO!) (Sunderland, T.C.H. 2012: A taxonomic revision of the rattans of Africa (Arecaceae: Calamoideae). – Phytotaxa 51: 1-76)A

Bibliography

    A. Sunderland, T.C.H. 2012: A taxonomic revision of the rattans of Africa (Arecaceae: Calamoideae). – Phytotaxa 51: 1-76
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae