Maxburretia furtadoana
Clustering dioecious palm, rarely with more than 10 stems. Stem up to 3(–5) m tall at maturity, c. 5 cm diam., naked proximally, with close leaf sheath scars and vertical cracking, covered distally for 1–2 m with persistent, spine-like leaf sheath fibres. Leaf petiole up to (20–)30–50(–70) cm long, cross section subcircular basally to oval distally, 3–5 mm diam.; blade rounded in outline, flattened, up to 75 cm diam., split into 25–30 single-fold segments, splits longest about ½ radius in the distal part, individual segments with 1–5 cm long indentations, pale green above, covered with thin white wax below. Inflorescence 25–40 cm long, with 3–5 first order branches, rachillae to 4 cm long; male inflorescence branched to three orders, male flowers solitary or in groups; female inflorescence branched to 2 orders, flowers solitary. Flower c. 2.5 mm long, male flower with 1 mm long staminal tube and 0.5 mm long pistillode; female flower with flattened, c. 0.3 mm long staminodes and c. 1.5 mm long gynoecium. Fruit narrowly ovoid, c. 0.8 x 0.4 cm, yellowish brown at maturity
Despite being restricted to inaccessible limestone crags, the palm has been over-collected, by removal of whole plants from the wild; fire started by man or by lightning can affect such limestone hills and the palm is thus vulnerable.
An unmistakable palm with its clustering stems and spine-like leaf sheath fibres.
Global — Endemic to Thailand (Dransfield 2349, holotype K).
Thailand — PENINSULAR: Surat Thani.
Restricted to exposed summits and sides of large karst limestone outcrops, to 800 m altitude.
Ornamental.