Ravenea krociana Beentje, Kew Bull. 49: 636 (1994)

Primary tabs

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Content

Introduction

  • This has very much the appearance of R. robustior but lacks the hard outer wood of that species; it has a very restricted distribution. The species is named for Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald"s; this organization funded a 4-year Madagascar Palm Project at Kew, during which period HB discovered R. krociana. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Madagascar present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
SE Madagascar: Andohahela. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Discussion

  • The ten staminodes in the pistillate flower are unique within the genus.
    In November 1994 we saw a population of a very large Ravenea species on Vatovavy, south of Mananjary. These spectacular palms appeared to have large fruits, much larger than in R. robustior, but we could not obtain any. It is possible that this is a second colony of R. krociana, although the wood seemed fairly hard. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Biology And Ecology

  • Moist forest, on steep to rather flat mid slope; 420-545 m. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Conservation

  • Vulnerable. We have seen this species in only one site, where the numbers are fairly low (c. 60). The site is within the Andohahela protected area. There seem to be no specific threats. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Common Name

  • Vakakabe (Antanosy). (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Uses

  • Not recorded. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Description

  • Majestic tree palm. TRUNK 20-30 m, ventricose, c. 26 cm diam., diameter just below crown about 18 cm (with internodes 5 cm, scars 3 cm); bark pale brown, internodes 8-9 cm, scars c. 2 cm; wood white, soft, with thin outer layer of hard wood with black fibres. LEAVES 14-26 in the crown, porrect, held on edge distally, with absent, main veins 3-5. STAMINATE INFLORESCENCE solitary (deduced from dead material), at least 130 cm, branched to 2 orders; peduncle > 35 cm, distally 2.2 x 1.5 cm; loose peduncular bract at least 120 cm; rachis > 55 cm; rachillae 13-27 cm, 1 mm across. PISTILLATE INFLORESCENCE solitary, pendulous in fruit, c. 150 x 85 cm, branched to 1 order; peduncle 64-77 cm, orange-green, glabrous, proximally c. 5 x 3 cm, distally 2.6 x 1.8 cm; prophyll 13-17 x 10-22 cm and thin, fibrous, white, disintegrating; peduncular bracts 20-33 x 6-8 cm (inserted at 7-13 cm from the base of the peduncle), 47-53 x 8 cm (inserted at c. 15 cm), 87-98 cm (inserted at 15-26 cm), 89-104 x 4.5 cm (inserted at 43-44 cm); rachis 43-52 cm, pale green, floccose-tomentose to glabrescent, pale green; rachillae 45-50 in number, 18-45 cm, 4 mm across but the bulbous base 15 mm across, pale green, slightly reflexed to spreading, zigzag; pedicel 2-3 mm; (the following measurements from bud material) calyx connate for 1.4 (2 in fruit) mm, 2.3 mm across, free lobes 1.1 x 1.2 mm; petals 2.8-3.3 x 1.7 mm; staminodes 10, c. 1.4 mm high; ovary 2.3 mm, 1.5 mm across. FRUIT orange, subglobose, 27-30 x 25-28 mm, one-seeded, with the stigmatic remains subapical, calyx in fruit increasing to a sub-woody cup-like structure 4.5-6 mm across and 2-3 mm high, with faint indications of the calyx lobes, and occasionally with a remnant of a petal. SEED dark brown, 18-20 x 16-21 mm, with large hilar spot (?). EOPHYLL pinnate. (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Materials Examined

  • Tolanaro: Andohahela, March 1992 (fr.), Beentje 4605 (Holotype K; isotypes BH, MO, P, TAN); idem, 15 Dec. 1992 (dead stam.), Beentje & Andriampaniry 4761 (K). (Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar)A

Bibliography

    A. Dransfield, J. & Beentje, H. 1995: The Palms of Madagascar
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae