''Cyphosperma trichospadix'' (''trichospadix'' being derived from the Greek words for "hair" and " spadix," an allusion to the hirsute

spathe In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

of the

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

) is a species of

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the family

Arecaceae The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

, currently threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

, and thus extremely rare in cultivation.

Habitat

This understory plant thrives in rainy, cloudy mountains and forests at elevations ranging from to .

Physical characteristics

A medium-size palm reaching approximately in height with leaflets. Its fruits are oval, no more than 2 cm long, and pale yellow when ripe.

References

* Lee Riffle, Robert, and Paul Craft. The Tropical Look, An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms. Portland: Timber Press, 2003
The Tropical Look, An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms, pages 318-319
* The Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia. 31 Oct. 2008. PACSOA. 12 July 2009

trichospadix Trees of Fiji Endemic flora of Fiji Vulnerable plants Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Max Burret {{Areceae-stub