Dictyosperma album

Common name

hurricane palm, princess palm

Description

Stems: Solitary, slender, gray stems to 15 m tall and up to 20 cm in diameter, bulging at the base, fissured vertically, with ridged, "stair-step" rings of leafleaf:
in palms -- the leaf blade (which is usually divided into leaflets or leaf segments), the petiole (or leaf stalk) and the sheath (which forms the attachment of the leaf to the stem)
scars. Leaves: Pinnate, reduplicatereduplicate:
Most palm leaflets or leaf segments are obviously folded. If the folds create an upside-down V-shape, with the margins lower than the midrib (so that rain might "run off the roof"), the folding is reduplicate.
, to 4 m long, with a rachisrachis:
an extension of the petiole through the blade of a pinnate leaf to which leaflets are attached
that twists 90° near the tip and linearlinear:
term to describe leaves and leaflets that are narrow with nearly parallel margins; like a line
leaflets growing in a single plane. The crown shaftcrown shaft:
a cylinder of clasping leaf sheaths toward the apex of the stem, found in some pinnate-leaved palms (e.g., <em>Wodyetia bifurcata</em>)
is stout, about 1 m long, somewhat swollen at the base, and light green with white, gray, or brown waxy scales. The rachisrachis:
an extension of the petiole through the blade of a pinnate leaf to which leaflets are attached
more or less covered with reddish-brown tomentumtomentum:
a covering of closely matted or fine hairs on plant leaves
on the underside. Leaflets are dark green with brown or tan twisted ramentaramenta:
irregularly shaped, thin scales, sometimes found along the abaxial midrib of a leaflet
on the underside along the prominent midrib. Flowers and fruits: Inflorescenceinflorescence:
the reproductive structure of a flowering plant, including palms, consisting of flowers and associated bracts
is erect in bud (the bud somewhat resembling a horn) branched to one order, with branches recurved at maturity. Male and female flowers are maroon to creamy yellow and are borne on the same inflorescenceinflorescence:
the reproductive structure of a flowering plant, including palms, consisting of flowers and associated bracts
. The black or purple ovoid fruits are 1-1.5 cm long and have remnants of the stigma at the apex.

Diagnostic features

Field: Erect, solitary palm with "stair step" rings and bulging base; stout white, gray, or brownish crown shaftcrown shaft:
a cylinder of clasping leaf sheaths toward the apex of the stem, found in some pinnate-leaved palms (e.g., <em>Wodyetia bifurcata</em>)
. Leaflets in a single plane, green above and below.

Lab: Twisted tan to brown ramentaramenta:
irregularly shaped, thin scales, sometimes found along the abaxial midrib of a leaflet
, along the prominent midvein

May be confused with

Archontophoenix alexandrae, but that species has leaflets colored silvery gray below, a green (usually) crown shaftcrown shaft:
a cylinder of clasping leaf sheaths toward the apex of the stem, found in some pinnate-leaved palms (e.g., <em>Wodyetia bifurcata</em>)
, and an inflorescenceinflorescence:
the reproductive structure of a flowering plant, including palms, consisting of flowers and associated bracts
with many pendulous branches.

Distribution

Native to Mascarene Islands

Additional comments

This species is widely cultivated, including in Hawaii, although it is critically endangered in its native range.

Scientific name

Dictyosperma album (Bory) H.Wendl. & Drude ex Scheffer

Family

Arecaceae/Palmae

Synonyms

Areca alba Bory

Dictyosperma rubrum H. Wendl. & Drude

Linoma alba (Bory) O. F. Cook