Rhopalostylidinae

taxobox

---

image_caption = "Rhopalostylis baueri"
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Monocots
unranked_ordo = Commelinids
ordo = Arecales
familia = Arecaceae
subfamilia = Arecoideae
tribus = Areceae
subtribus = Rhopalostylidinae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = *"Rhopalostylis"
*"Hedyscepe"|

Rhopalostylidinae is a botanical subtribe consisting of two genera of palms from Australia and New Zealand, "Hedyscepe" and "Rhopalostylis". These two genera were formerly included in Archontophoenicinae until a revision in (Dransfield, Uhl et al., 2005).

Description

The palms in this subtribe are medium-sized palms, with well-developed, distinct crownshafts and strictly pinnate leaves with generally short and massive petioles. The inflorescences are branched to two or three orders, with the prophyll and penduncular bracts similar (Uhl and Dransfield 1987:367).

Genera

The genus "Rhopalostylis" contains two species, "R. baueri", the Norfolk Palm or Niau, from Norfolk Island, Australia, and Raoul Island in the Kermadec group north of New Zealand, and R. sapida, the Nikau Palm, from New Zealand. The leaves of "Rhopalostylis" tend to be held rigidly upright, especially in "R. sapida" from the northern North Island, making the palm somewhat resemble a feather duster.

"Hedyscepe" contains a single species, "H. canterburyana" the Big Mountain Palm, which grows on mountain cliffs overlooking the sea on Lord Howe Island, Australia. However a genetic study in 2006 throws doubt on the validity of "Hedescepe" as a member of the Rhopalostylidinae. The study revealed a "curious relationship between "Hedyscepe" and the clade "Alloschmidia" and "Basselinia" which is highly supported by the combined analysis (88 BP) and thus contradicts the monophyly of the Rhopalostylidinae" (Norup, Dransfield et al., 2006:1075). The genera "Alloschmidia" and "Basselinia" are endemic to New Caledonia.

References

*Dransfield, John, Natalie W Uhl, Conny B Asmussen, William J Baker, Madeline M Harley, and Carl E Lewis (2005) 'A new phylogenetic classification of the palm family, Arecaceae'. "Kew Bulletin", Vol. 60 (2005).
*cite journal |author=Norup, Maria Vibe| coauthors = John Dransfield, Mark W. Chase, Anders S. Barfod, Edwino S. Fernando and William J. Baker|date=2006|title=Homoplasious character combinations and generic delimitation: a case study from the Indo-Pacific arecoid palms (Arecaceae: Areceae)|journal=American Journal of Botany|issue = 93|pages = 1065-1080|url=http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/93/7/1065|accessdate=2008-05-08
*Uhl, Natalie W. and Dransfield, John (1987) "Genera Palmarum - A classification of palms based on the work of Harold E. Moore". Lawrence, Kansas: Allen Press. ISBN-10: ISBN-10: 0935868305 / ISBN-13: 978-0935868302.