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Classification
Eugeissona
Nomenclature
SUMMARY
Moderate to robust, clustering, spiny, hapaxanthic, polygamous, acaulescent palm. Stem subterranean, branching sympodially by basal (?axillary) suckers, internodes very short, usually covered by rotting leaf sheaths. Leaves pinnate, spirally arranged; sheath usually splitting opposite the petiole, unarmed at the very base, bearing black, flattened spines distally, and scales and branched hairs, sheath margin ligule-like distally; petiole well developed, adaxially deeply channelled in proximal portion, distally ± rounded in section, the abaxial surface sparsely to densely armed with black, scattered flattened spines; rachis armed as the petiole but more sparsely; leaflets single-fold, numerous, linear to lanceolate, entire, regularly arranged, bearing bristles along the main veins or the margins, and irregular bands of caducous indumentum, midribs prominent, transverse veinlets moderately conspicuous. Inflorescence system terminal, erect, branched, lateral inflorescences branched to 3rd order, subtended by reduced or by tubular, apiculate, spiny or unarmed, bracts; branches of all orders bearing a tubular, 2-keeled prophyll, and terminating in a cupule of tightly sheathing bracts enclosing a flower pair; cupule bracts 11–13, flower pair consisting of a male and a large hermaphroditic flower. Male flowers shortly pedicellate; calyx tubular, coriaceous, striate, dull brown, with pointed lobes; corolla tubular in the basal 1/4 to 1/3, distally with 3 narrow, elongate, woody, valvate lobes terminating in hard, sharp, spine-like tips; stamens 22–27; pistillode minute. Hermaphroditic flowers very similar in size and shape to the male, flattened on one side by pressure of the male flower in bud; gynoecium triovulate. Fruit ovoid, beaked, cupule bracts, calyx, and usually the corolla persisting; epicarp covered in irregular vertical rows of very small reflexed, fringed scales. Seed single, basally attached, seed coat thin, dry, endosperm homogeneous, hard; embryo basal. Germination remote-ligular; eophyll pinnate.
Six species in Peninsular Thailand to W. Malaysia, Borneo. One species in Thailand.