Roystonea altissima

Roystonea altissima is an endemic Jamaican species of palm in the genus Roystonea.

Features

The strains of Roystonea altissima are smooth, gray-brown, up to 20 m high and have a diameter of 25.5 to 35 cm. The crown consists of around 15 pinnate leaves, with the lower leaves hang down significantly. The Kronschaft is 1.4 to 1.6 m long. The Blattrhachis is 4 m long. The middle leaflets are 60-79 cm long and 3.2 to 3.9 cm wide.

The inflorescence is about 1.2 m long and 1 m wide. His previous sheet is 30.5 to 40 cm long and 6.5 to 13.5 cm wide. The spathe is about 1 m long and in the middle at the widest. Your end is pointed. The side branches of the inflorescence are 15-34 cm long and have a diameter of 1.3 to 2.6 mm.

The male flowers are purple, while at the base of the petals and stamens darkest. Sepals are triangular, 0.9 mm in length and 1 to 1.5 mm wide. The petals are elliptical, 3.6 to 5.9 mm long and 2.1 to 2.5 mm wide. The six stamens are 2.7 to 4.8 mm long, the stamens are commended shaped and 1.9 to 3.8 mm long. The anthers are from 2.3 to 3.7 mm long. The ovary rudiment is very small.

The female flowers are purple. You sepals are kidney-shaped, 0.9 to 1.4 mm long and 2.5 to 3.2 mm wide. The petals are oval, 2.7 to 3.4 mm long. The Staminodium is shallow sechslappig, 1.7 to 2.5 mm long, freely for 0.6 to 0.9 mm. The die is 1.7 to 1.8 mm long and has a diameter of 1.5 to 2 mm.

The fruits are obovate and projecting. They are 11.4 to 15.3 mm long. Your dorsiventral thickness is from 7.2 to 10.4 mm, its width from 6.7 to 10.3 mm. The exocarp is black. The endocarp is ellipsoidal and 11.8 to 13.8 mm long. His dorsiventral thickness is 7.7 to 8.7 mm, width 6.8 to 8 mm. The seed is ellipsoidal, 9.3 to 10.7 mm long, dorsiventrally 5.6 to 6.8 mm thick and 6.5 to 7.3 mm wide. The raphe is circular. The primary blade is linear - lanceolate. The chromosome base number is n = 18

Dissemination

The species is endemic to Jamaica. It grows in the limestone hills and mountains up to 760 m above sea level. It is quite common in the interior of the island.

Use

The leaves and leaf sheaths are used for thatching and as a wrapping material. The inflorescence is used as a broom.

Documents

• Scott Zona: Roystonea ( Arecaceae: Arecoideae ). Flora Neotropica, Volume 71, 1996, pp. 1-35. ( JSTOR )

• Palmaceus
• Arecaceae