Balaka samoensis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Balaka samoensis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Genus: | Balaka |
| Species: | B. samoensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Balaka samoensis | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Balaka samoensis is a small palm tree in the Balaka genus that is endemic to two islands in Samoa. It grows in the mountainous interior of its island homes and the species does not have a common name specific to it in Samoan.
Balaka samoensis is a small palm tree that grows to around 5 meters (16 ft) in height. The trunk has a diameter of 5 centimeters (2 in) at breast height and is hairless.[2]
The leaves are measure as much as 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) long and are pinnately compound, divided into eight to thirteen leaflets. The two leaflets at the end of the leaf a fused at the base into a shape resembling a deep fish-tail. The leaves are attached alternately to the top of the trunk and have a rachis, large central leaf vein, that is covered in somewhat brown scales. The base of the leaf sheathes the trunk, surrounds it, and is 25 to 30 cm long.[2]
The inflorescence is made up of two to four panicles, branching clusters of flowers, that can branch once or twice. The inflorescence might be as long as 60 cm and grows from the trunk from a leaf axil, the joint where it attaches to the trunk. The base of the inflorescence partly sheaths the trunk. All the flowers in a cluster will be unisexual, with the pollen producing flowers towards the end and seed producing flowers towards the base.[2]
The flowers have three small sepals, only about 3 millimeters long, and three white petals 6 to 7 mm long. The petals are bent backwards at maturity. The ovary is hardly developed in pollen producing flowers and the stamens are barely developed staminodes in seed producing flowers.[2]
The fruit is a red drupe, egg shaped to ellipsoid, measuring between 1.8 and 2.4 cm long. It is likely that flowering and fruiting can happen in any part of the year.[2]
The fishtail shape of the end of the leaves is one of the distinging characteristics of this species along with the size of its fruits and the size of the trees.[2]
Taxonomy
Balaka samoensis was scientifically described and named by Odoardo Beccari in 1914. It is part of the genus Balaka in the family Arecaceae. It has two botanical synonyms, a 1935 attempt to move it to the genus Vitiphoenix by Karl Ewald Maximilian Burret and a mistaken heterotypic synonym created by Erling Christophersen in the same year.[1]
Names
In the Samoan language these trees are called māniuniu, a name used for all palms in the both Balaka and Drymophloeus.[3]