Monocaulous trees, to 15 m tall; bark flaky grey, pustular lenticels to 0.8 by 0.2 cm, pink within; axes segmented at 10-40 cm intervals. Leaves in a single whorl of 12-25 in mature trees, several in younger trees; leaf scars rounded, obovate-rhomboid, c. 2.5 by 2 cm; petiole scarcely present, but swollen at base; lamina narrowly-obovate, 100-190(-228) by 22-42 cm, widest at ⅔ of its length; coriaceous, base tapering to petiole, margins minutely crenulate, slightly recurved, apex rounded and abruptly acuminate, acumen to 3 cm; midrib prominulous above, prominent beneath, primary veins 50-65 pairs, brochidodromous, arising obliquely from midrib, straight and parallel, and arched and joining 2-5 mm from margin, prominulous above, prominent beneath, intercostal veins prominulous on both surfaces, more so beneath, towards margin parallel and arranged at right angles to veins; terminal bud a prominent spike to 30 by 5 cm. Cataphylls lanceolate, 5-19 by 3-4.5 cm, base auriculate, margin finely serrate, apex rounded to acute, pinkish red, caducous; venation reticulate, irregular. Inflorescences 80-100 cm long, lateral in groups of 2-6, usually arising from a single previous whorl of leaves, axillary to a former leaf base; rachis to 1.5 cm diam., scarcely tapered, fissured; bracts triangular, to 1.2 by 0.6 cm, base blunt, apex acuminate, dense velvety pubescent throughout, khaki green to light brown; inflorescence with buds compressed when young, and quadrangular form maintained through development; basal bracts oblong, c. 4.5 by 2.5 cm, apex ± bifurcate rounded, caducous. Calyx in bud oblate, entire, closed, without pores, but with a minute apical depression, square in apical view, with 4(-5) narrow sulci along the corners, to 1.5 by 0.4 cm, densely velvety pubescent, khaki-green; circumscissile, the persistent part becoming thickened in fruit. Flowers 80-100; hypanthium rounded-cupular, sessile, c. 0.7 by 0.7 cm, velvety pubescent; petals 4(-5), obtuse triangular to obovate, to 40 by 15 mm; apex rounded, white with a faint pink flush; stamens 450-500, staminal whorls 8-12, to 50 by 0.5 mm, innermost whorl staminodal 3-20 mm long, connate at their very base only, anthers elliptic, c. 0.75 by 0.5 mm, 4-celled; disc to 9.5 mm diam., the inner annulus c. 4 mm diam. and < 1 mm high, becoming strikingly hemispherically concave in fruit; ovary 4-locular, with 3 ovules per locule; style slender, tapering, to 55 by 1 mm. Fruits sessile, obovate, to 7.5 by 3.5 cm, base tapering, acute, almost circular in section, apex blunt-rounded.
Home