Solfia

<i>Balaka insularis</i>

Balaka insularis

Species of palm

Balaka insularis is a rare species of flowering plant in the palm family endemic to Samoa. It was formerly placed in the monotypic genus Solfia with the species name Solfia samoensis.[2] It was placed in the genus Balaka in 2014.[3]

Quick Facts Balaka insularis, Conservation status ...

Description

The trunk is solitary and ringed, colored brown, no more than 8 cm wide. The sheath of the pinnate leaf is extended, wrapping around the trunk to form a tall, slender crownshaft. The petiole is short, the thin rachis bears regularly spaced, reduplicate leaflets with a prominent midrib and jagged ends. The inflorescence emerges below the crownshaft, initially enclosed by a prophyll, with a single peduncular bract. Monoecious, there are staminate and pistillate flowers present in each plant, borne on the rachillae as triads of two males surrounding one female. Fleshy and red when ripe, the fruit becomes wrinkled when dry, carrying one seed with homogeneous endosperm.[4]

Distribution and habitat

Balaka insularis is one of the palms confined to Samoa, growing in wet, mountainous, montane rain and cloud forests, exceeding 500 m. Palms endemic to Samoa also include Balaka samoensis, Balaka tahitensis, and Clinostigma samoense.

References

  1. [1]
    Whistler, A. & Johnson, D. (1998). "Drymophloeus samoensis". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1998. IUCN: e.T38514A10126399. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T38514A10126399.en. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  2. [2]
    Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  3. [3]
    Zona S, Baker WJ. 2014. Solfia transferred to Balaka. Palms 58: 191–192.
  4. [4]
    Uhl, Natalie W. and Dransfield, John (1987) Genera Palmarum - A classification of palms based on the work of Harold E. Moore. Lawrence, Kansas: Allen Press. ISBN 0-935868-30-5 / ISBN 978-0-935868-30-2
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