Harmsiopanax ingens
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Harmiopanax ingens (Araliaceae) is a spiny, palmlike mesocaul tree endemic to the montane rainforests of central New Guinea which bears a terminal rosette of meter-wide peltate leaves on equally long petioles. It ultimately attains a height of eighteen meters, at which point it bears a huge panicle of flowers five meters high and equally wide; the largest above ground inflorescence of any dicot plant[1] (although Caloncoba flagelliflora (Flacourtiaceae; of West Africa)[2] and Ficus geocarpa (Moraceae; of the Malay Peninsula)[3] and F. unciata var. strigosa (also of Malaya)[4] have larger subsurface panicles, each about nine meters in length. H. ingens is monocarpic, and again the largest among dicots. Its native name is "Makua".[1]
References
- ^ a b W.R. Philipson, "A Revision of Harmsiopanax" BLUMEA Vol. 21 (1973) # 1 pp. 84-85
- ^ E. Gilg, "Flacourtiaceae", DIE NATURLICHEN PFLANZENFAMILIEN (2nd edition; 1925) Vol. 21 pp. 377-457.
- ^ "Moraceae - Ficus", FLORA MALESIANA Vol. 17 Part 2 (2005) pp. 40 & 461.
- ^ E.J.H. Corner, WAYSIDE TREES OF MALAYA (1952 edition) Vol. 1 p. 681.