Borassus flabellifer

Mehmud, Selim & Roy, Himu, 2021, Diversity and distribution of palms (Arecaceae) in Assam, India, Check List 17 (1), pp. 69-93 : 72

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.15560/17.1.69
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/284487AF-FFA9-FF9D-3B16-FF75FAF6FC49
treatment provided by	Marcus
scientific name	Borassus flabellifer
status

Treatment

Borassus flabellifer View in CoL L.

Diagnostic characters. Solitary, erect, 20–25 m tall tree; trunk grey-black, ca 50 cm in diameter, smooth or covered with dry petiole. Leaf costapalmate, 3–3.8 m long; petiole 1.5–1.8 m long, green or yellowish, mar- gin black and serrated. Leaflets up to 70 in number, api- ces bifid, ca 10 cm long, acute. Staminate inflorescence arise from leaf base, ca 1 m long, with 9–11 alternate branches; bracts ca 50 cm long, tubular; rachis 40–46 cm long, with rachillae 2–4, ca 30 cm. Female inflorescence ca 90 cm long; bracts ca 40 cm; rachillae ca 23 cm. Fruits globose, black, ca 15 cm in diameter.

Flowering and fruiting. March to May and June to November, respectively

Distribution. Common in Assam; plain areas.

Vernacular names. Tal (Assamese).

Uses. As food (fruit), firewood (leaf, inflorescence), hut (leaf).

Material examined. INDONESIA • East Java, Pasuruan, Purwodadi ; alt. 300 m; 27 Nov. 1988; Harini leg.; NYBG 02320483 View Materials . INDIA • 1 ♂; Assam, Morigaon, Thengbhanga ; 26°12′30″N, 092°03′12″E; alt. 1 m; 08 Apr. 2018; S. Mehmud leg. GoogleMaps ; CH, ASSAM 96215 About ASSAM .