Orania oreophila Essig

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/167560935/170972348

Conservation

EN - endangered

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident

Keim, A.P. & Dransfield, J. 2012. Kew Bulletin 67: 127. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-012-9356-6

Morphology General Habit

Small palm

Morphology Trunk

Trunk c. 5 cm diam. (dbh)

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 5 – 6 in the crown, spirally arranged, c. 275 – 310 cm long; leaf-sheath c. 20 cm long, margins disintegrating into fibres, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface with dense red-brown tomentum; petiole 100 – 120 cm long, with thin red-brown tomentum; rachis 155 to 170 cm long, c. 1 cm diam. in the middle, with dense red-brown tomentum; leaflets elongate-lanceolate, spirally arranged leaflets held in one plane, the proximal 2 leaflets crowded in a group, otherwise c. 7 – 8 cm distant in the middle, 22 – 24 on each side, c. 60 – 78 cm long, 4.5 – 5 cm wide, adaxial surface dark green, glabrous, with red-brown tomentum on midrib, midrib thick, other ribs slender, glabrous, abaxial surface with white indumentum, red-brown tomentum on the margin, ribs slender Eophyll bifid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence spreading, branching to 2 orders, covered with red-brown tomentum, no sign of wax; prophyll persistent, c. 26.5 cm long, 4.0 – 4.5 cm wide, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface with thin red-brown tomentum, disintegrating into fibres when old, from upper part down to the base; peduncular bract one, woody, c. 58.5 – 59 cm long, 1.6 – 1.7 cm wide, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface with red-brown tomentum, absent in the old inflorescence; first order branch c. 28 – 30 cm long, rachilla bract c. 3 mm long, rachillae slender, c. 18 – 24 cm long, bearing triads in the proximal ⅘ part and paired staminate flowers in the distal ⅕ part, the basal c. 1 – 1.5 cm devoid of flowers, triads c. 1 – 1.5 cm distant, rachilla glabrous, bearing 48 to 67 flower clusters, the proximal 22 – 37 contains pistillate flowers

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Staminate flowers with calyx of 3 united minute sepals; corolla with 3 free petals, c. 8 mm long, 2.5 – 3 mm wide; stamens 6, filaments free, dark brown, c. 1 mm long, anthers elongate-lanceolate, pale creamy yellow, c. 3.5 – 4 mm long; pistillodes absent Pistillate flowers with calyx of 3 united minute sepals; corolla with 3 free petals, c. 5 × 3 mm; staminodes 6, c. 1 mm long, uniform; gynoecium dark brown, c. 3 mm long, stigma with 3 elongate lobes, c. 0.75 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits globose or bilobed, c. 3 – 4.5 cm diam. Embryo placed below middle line of seed

Distribution

Papua New Guinea: mountains of the Kainantu Sub-province and Bismarck Mountains in Eastern Highlands Province to mountains of the western part of Morobe Province. Always at high elevation within a range of approx. 1281 – 1620 m (4200 – 5300 feet). Map 7.

Ecology

In Castanopsis dominated highland forest. Recorded from 6°12'S to 6°28'S latitude and 146°02'E to 146°05'E longitude.

Conservation

Data deficient (DD). The palm is known from only two specimens and we have no recent information on the status of forests at these localities.

Vernacular

Unknown.

Note

Orania oreophila is one of the smaller members of the genus. It occupies the highest habitat known in the genus. Essig (1980) mentioned the specimen cited in his monograph (Essig LAE 55142), which has an unusual appearance in having large, well-developed bracts on the upper peduncle and subtending the branches. The significance of these characters is uncertain because none of the other specimens has these features. Mountain-loving.