View source for Cyphophoenix alba

{{Short description|Species of palm}}
{{Speciesbox
|image =Cyphophoenix alba.jpg
|image_caption =  Cyphophoenix alba, Mt. Panié, New Caledonia
|genus = Cyphophoenix
|species = alba
|authority = (H.E.Moore) Pintaud & W.J.Baker
|synonyms =
* ''Veillonia alba''
}}

'''''Cyphophoenix alba''''' is a species of palm in the family [[Arecaceae]] endemic to [[New Caledonia]].  It was previously placed in the genus ''Veillonia''.

==Description==
The ringed trunks are solitary, to 15&nbsp;cm wide and, in habitat, grow to 15 m tall.  White to gray at the swollen base, new trunk growth is light green up to the loose [[crownshaft]] which is densely covered in white wax and red to brown scales.  The [[leaf]] is pinnately compound, 3 meters long on 60&nbsp;cm, scaly petioles.  The rachis may be scale bearing, the meter long leaflets regularly emerging from it, each with one fold, scaly and acuminate.  The midrib and lateral veins are prominent, the transverse veinlets are not.<ref name=riffle>Riffle, Robert L. and Craft, Paul (2003) ''An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms''. Portland: Timber Press. {{ISBN|0-88192-558-6}} / {{ISBN|978-0-88192-558-6}}</ref>

The [[inflorescence|flowering branch]] is borne beneath the crownshaft, branched to one or two orders, erect in bud and becoming pendulous in fruit.  The short peduncle is waxy and covered in hairs, the enclosing prophyll is similarly covered, two keeled and beaked.  The rachis is longer than the peduncle with spirally arranged, conspicuous bracts subtending long, tapering rachillae.  These branchlets are stiff with prominent bracts subtending triads in their lower half with pairs or lone staminate flowers on the top.

The staminate flowers have three pointed sepals and as many valvate petals; the six stamens have strongly inflexed filaments with oblong dorsifixed anthers carrying elliptic [[pollen]] with finely reticulate, tectate exine.  The pistillate flowers are larger with broadly imbricate sepals and valvate petals; there are three toothlike staminodes borne at the side of the ovoid, uniovulate gynoecium.  The three stigmas are prominent and reflexed nearing antithesis; the ovule is pendulous.  The ovoid [[fruit]] is red to brown at maturity carrying one [[seed]] with a basal [[embryo]].

== Distribution and habitat ==
It is found on [[Mont Panié]] in New Caledonian [[rain forest]] in [[gneiss]]ic and [[schist]]ose soils from 200 – 600 m above sea level.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120912153652/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?12663 ''Veillonia'' on NPGS/GRIN]
* [http://data.gbif.org/species/14722074 GBIF Portal]
* [http://palmguide.org/genus.php?family=ARECACEAE&genus=Veillonia Fairchild Guide to Palms: ''Veillonia'']
* [http://www.diversityoflife.org/cgi-bin/dol/dol_terminal.pl?taxon_name=Veillonia&rank=genus DiversityofLife.org images]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q8352998}}

[[Category:Cyphophoenix|alba]]
[[Category:Endemic flora of New Caledonia]]