list of figures - Terry Sunderland

Figure 3. Acanthophylls of Laccosperma acutiflorum, Campo, Cameroon (Sunderland 1926)
On the lower portion of the stems of some taxa in the genera Eremospatha and
Oncocalamus, an undifferentiated rachis is often produced, devoid of any true leaflets
and possessing acanthophylls only. This unusual, and previously unrecorded, organ
seems to be more common on younger stems, particularly under a forest canopy.
However, this organ also occurs in Oncocalamus colonising recently cleared areas as
well. The adaptive significance of this organ is not known, although it certainly
facilitates the establishment of the developing stems and assists in the climbing
process. In the absence of an existing term for this appendage, I have applied the term
“elaminate” (devoid of leaf blades) to signify the lack of true leaflets on the rachis.
1.2.15 Flowering behaviour
In all, 16 genera of palms, the majority of them in the Calamoideae, produce what
appears to be a massive “terminal” inflorescence that results in the death of the
primary axis of the palm. In fact, this structure is not terminal (Corner, 1966) but is an
aggregate inflorescence that consists of a large number of lateral inflorescence units
borne in the axils of the leaves, which are often reduced. These inflorescence units are
borne in the distal portion of the stem and mature simultaneously (Tuley, 1965; Uhl
33