Solfia
Encyclopedia
Solfia is a rare, monotypic genus
of flowering plant
in the palm
family native to Southeast Asia
, where the only species
Solfia paradoxa is known as niu aso or māniuniu. Many sources list it as a synonym of Drymophloeus
as Solfia whitmeeana was reassigned to that genus, though S. paradoxa is currently recognized.
is extended, wrapping around the trunk to form a tall, slender crownshaft
. The petiole is short, the thin rachis bears regularly spaced, reduplicate leaflets with a prominent midrib and jagged ends. The inflorescence
emerges below the crownshaft, initially enclosed by a prophyll, with a single peduncular bract. Monoecious, there are staminate and pistillate flower
s present in each plant, borne on the rachillae as triads of two males surrounding one female. Fleshy and red when ripe, the fruit
becomes wrinkled when dry, carrying one seed
with homogeneous endosperm.
rain and cloud forest
s, exceeding 500 m.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the palm
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
family native to Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, where the only species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
Solfia paradoxa is known as niu aso or māniuniu. Many sources list it as a synonym of Drymophloeus
Drymophloeus
Drymophloeus is a genus of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family.It contains the following species:* Drymophloeus lepidotus* Drymophloeus oliviformis* Drymophloeus pachycladus* Drymophloeus samoensis* Drymophloeus subdistichus...
as Solfia whitmeeana was reassigned to that genus, though S. paradoxa is currently recognized.
Description
The trunk is solitary and ringed, colored brown, no more than 8 cm wide. The sheath of the pinnate leafLeaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
is extended, wrapping around the trunk to form a tall, slender crownshaft
Crownshaft
An elongated circumferential leaf base formation present on some species of palm is called a crownshaft.The leaf bases of some pinnate leaved palms form a sheath at the top of the trunk surrounding the bud where all the subsequent leaves are formed.The crownshaft...
. The petiole is short, the thin rachis bears regularly spaced, reduplicate leaflets with a prominent midrib and jagged ends. The inflorescence
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. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
emerges below the crownshaft, initially enclosed by a prophyll, with a single peduncular bract. Monoecious, there are staminate and pistillate flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s present in each plant, borne on the rachillae as triads of two males surrounding one female. Fleshy and red when ripe, the fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
becomes wrinkled when dry, carrying one seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
with homogeneous endosperm.
Distribution and habitat
Solfia samoensis is one of two palms confined to Samoa, growing in wet, mountainous, montaneMontane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
rain and cloud forest
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
s, exceeding 500 m.