Laccosperma korupensis Information

Laccosperma korupensis Information

Identification:
Clustered, slender palm climbing to 10 m. Stem, not circular in cross section, but somewhat oval, without sheaths up to 12 mm in diameter, with ca. 15 mm; internodes 12-15 cm long. Leaf sheath very sparsely to moderately armed with very fine, black tipped, downward-pointing spines; sheaths near leaf junction occasionally unarmed; black caducous indumentum present on mature sheaths; ocrea 7-10 cm long, gradually tapering at the apex, papyraceous and tattering, pale straw-coloured without, dark shiny brown within, armed with very fine black-tipped spines. Leaves up to 1.0 m long; petiole to 12 cm long by 0.8 cm wide, abaxially rounded, adaxially flattened, armed along the edges with up to 1 cm long, inequidistant, black spines with pale bulbous bases, spreading or reflexed; rachis to 50 cm long, rounded or somewhat angular in cross section, armed as the petiole, the spines decreasing in size distally; cirrus to 70 cm long armed as the rachis, although spines becoming sparse distally; leaflets, 10-18 on each side of the rachis, inequidistant, usually sub-equidistant proximally and borne in pairs distally, lanceolate, finely acuminate at apex, bluntly cuneate at base, 12-20 cm long by 1.5-1.5 cm broad at widest point, ± concolourous, with prominent transverse veinlets and numerous, rather distant, small reflexed spines on the margins; acanthophylls absent. Flowers and fruits unknown.

General Information:
Laccosperma korupensis is a species of the forest understorey. This species is named after the Korup region, which includes the National Park. This taxon is unique within the genus in the fact that the reduced leaflets forming grapnel hooks on the cirrus (known as acanthophylls), which are a common character in the rattan genera endemic to Africa, are absent. Near threatened (NT) due to its restricted range and continuing habitat loss.

Distribution:

Native to, Cameroon

Restricted to the coastal forests of Cameroon, L. korupensis is locally abundant in the Korup and National Park and its environs.

Location: Cameroon (4.534079°N, 9.448242°E)

Observations