Fiji native palms

[fiji jim]

In the last couple of weeks we spent some time in the bush on Vanua Levu and Taveuni Islands.

Altogether we found twelve native palm species.

Most were from 140 meters to 1100 meters altitude.

We explored six different areas.

The first is Alsmithia or now Hetrospathe longipes.

[Walter John]

more Jim ?

[fiji jim]

Alsmithia trunk detail

[fiji jim]

Look carefully and you can see a Balaka seemannii inbetween an Alsmithia in the front and a Hydriastele boumae in the rear.

All are young palms

[fiji jim]

Here is a group of Balaka seemannii

[fiji jim]

B.seemannii at 600m with ripe seeds.

[fiji jim]

Another B.seemannii

[fiji jim]

Balaka sp. bulitavu.

A fairly recent discovery

[fiji jim]

B.bulitavu infructescence

[fiji jim]

B.bulitavu seedling

[fiji jim]

Balaka sp. 'natewa' adult.

This species is yet to be fully described.

We found it very difficult to see the differences between this sp and B.'bulitavu'.

However they occur in different locations some distance apart and nowhere else.

I guess that one day the experts will tell us.

[fiji jim]

B.natewa flower

[fiji jim]

B.natewa juvenile

[fiji jim]

B.natewa seeds not quiet ripe.

Other things calling.

More later.

[Gileno Machado]

Very interesting fruit shape Jim. Keep the pics coming.

[RainForestt Robert]

Thanks for sharing. I love habitat photos. Very attractive palms!

Robert

[Mark Heath]

In the last couple of weeks we spent some time in the bush on Vanua Levu and Taveuni Islands.

Altogether we found twelve native palm species.

Most were from 140 meters to 1100 meters altitude.

We explored six different areas.

The first is Alsmithia or now Hetrospathe longipes.

That is one beautifull palm!! I would love to add this one to my collection, i hope i can find one, but i'm sure they're rare and hard to find! Thanks for posting the pics!

[mike in kurtistown]

Little known species in habitat. Love it. Thanks for sharing.

[fiji jim]

Good to see appreciation for these spp as most are classified as endangered due to logging and that many only exist in small colonies in one location.

Mark,

I have seed Alsmithia seed for sale on RPS as they are now fruiting in Hawaii. There were none ripe this time of year here. Also Jeff Marcus sells seedlings of these. They sport a lovely new pink-red leaf that turns to bronze and lasts a couple of weeks before going green.

Now here is another little known Balaka that is regarded as critically endangered and exists in one known colony of 50 to 60 palms in the rainforest around

300 meters altitude where rainfall is more than 3 meters annually.

This is Balaka streptostachys, endemic to Vanua Levu.

[fiji jim]

This is the stoutest of the Balaka with a trunk of up to 100mm or 4 inches thickness that is double the others.

Here is B.streptostachys flower.

[fiji jim]

Now B.streptostachys seed.

[fiji jim]

This is Calamus vitiensis.

I found it a very attractive palm that was not as nasty as expected. Meaning that my experience with this genus in New Zealand and Australia was of being constantly stuck and scratched with it.

Here this never happened and young palms up to 4 or 5 meters tall were self-supporting and not armed. Most of the thorns occurred on the cirrus as an extension of the rachis and were well above ground level on older palms only.

[fiji jim]

Calamus vitiensis seeds are like a miniature Metroxylon seed, but white.

These palms are dioecious.

[fiji jim]

Leaves of C.vitiensis are a lovely glossy dark green and drooping.

[fiji jim]

A look at the crownshaft armory.

[fiji jim]

Seedlings were particularly attractive with little to no insect damage, unlike many other palms.

[fiji jim]

Here is one at 4 to 5 meters tall, still upright and barely armed. We also found some in full sun locations on the forest edge ass low as 130 meters elevation.

[fiji jim]

And here it is really at home.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Jim, Fascinating habitat photos! Thanks for posting them.

[SubTropicRay]

Great habitat photos Jim. I could look at this stuff all day.

[fiji jim]

Here's my favourite.

Hardly seen in cultivation but sure should be seen much more. It will definitely rival the well-regarded Clinostigma from Samoa and has more features with it's prop roots.

Clinostigma exorrhizum seen here at 1100 meters on Taveuni Island.

[fiji jim]

The trunk is often covered in moss and epiphites and ferns but this one was mostly bare.

Clinostigma exorrhizum can be sen on 4 different islands in Fiji in many locations from 50 meters to 1100 meters altitude.

So it should have great landscaping potential in a variety of climates.

[fiji jim]

C.exorrhizum in flower and seed.

[Jeff Searle]

Jim,

Like others mentioned, I love to see palms in habitat. There's nothing better than making a trip and having the chance to actually find and see where some of these palms grow. Thanks for all the good pictures.

Jeff

[fiji jim]

Its infructescence.

[fiji jim]

It was not possible to get enough distance from this palm to get the whole plant in one pic.

This shows the prop roots.

[fiji jim]

And a closeup.

These roots are slightly spiny but to no great extent.

[fiji jim]

Here is a juvenile growing on another tree.

[fiji jim]

This C.exorrhizum is growing at 680 meters elevation

[BS Man about Palms]

That post #38 pic is amazing!!