Licuala modesta
Medium-sized palm, solitary to caespitose with 1–3 dominant stems up to 3 m tall. Stem 2–3 cm diam. with numerous suckers at base. Leaf sheath 10–20 cm long; up to 120 cm long, armed basally with narrowly triangular spines, spreading to reflexed, up to 0.5 cm long; lamina divided in a variable number of segments, 7–22, these equal-sized with 3–5 adaxial ribs in many-segmented leaves to mid segment largest with 8–18 adaxial ribs in few-segmented leaves; mid segment 25–32 cm long; indentations leading to the adaxial folds c. 2 cm long on mid segment, to 3 cm long on remaining segments. Inflorescence 22–57 cm long, with 1–5 partial inflorescences; peduncle 21–41 cm long; prophyll to c. 25 cm long; peduncular bracts lacking; rachis bracts chartaceous, splitting deeply to 17 cm on basal ones, mouth loosely sheathing; partial inflorescences often branching near the mouth of the rachis bract, with 1–4 rachillae; rachillae 7–14 cm long. Flowers solitary or gathered in cincinni of 2–3, on up to 0.5 mm, hairy stalks; calyx cylindrical with a slight constriction just above base, 2.5–3 mm long, wide and flattened basally, apex truncate to irregularly lobed, covered with scattered to dense coarse tawny golden brown hairs; corolla 4.5–5 mm long, densely covered with fine adpressed golden brown simple hairs, lobes 2.5–3.5 mm long; androecium with c. 0.5 mm high staminal ring; filaments filiform with triangular base, 0.5–1 mm long, anthers reniform, c. 0.8 mm long; ovary glabrous, cylindrical with rounded apex, c. 2 mm long; style filiform, 1.2 mm long. Fruit globose, c. 0.9 cm diam.
Unknown. Occurs only marginally in Thailand where it has been recorded twice. Possibly of high concern.
The species is variable in its morphology. See Saw (1997) for discussion on the variation recorded in Peninsular Malaysia. The two Thai collections are similar to the lowland form from Gunong Hijau and Gunong Bubu in Peninsular Malaysia.
Global — Malaysia (type).
Thailand — PENINSULAR: Songkhla, Narathiwat.
In Peninsular Malaysia, this species is found in a rather wide range of habitats from lowland forest to limestone hills (Saw 1997). On Bukit Larut and Gunong Bubu, the species ranges from the foot of the mountain to the summit. The two records from Thailand have both been found in lowland forest.