Ptychosperma macarthurii | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Monocots |
(unranked): | Commelinids |
Order: | Arecales |
Family: | Arecaceae |
Genus: | Ptychosperma |
Species: | P. macarthurii |
Binomial name | |
Ptychosperma macarthurii (H.Wendl. ex H.J.Veitch) H.Wendl. ex Hook.f. |
Ptychosperma macarthurii is a species of palm in the Arecaceae family. It is found only in isolated occurrences in the Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia, and also in New Guinea. The species is commonly used as an interior landscaping plant.
Ptychosperma macarthurii was named for Sir William Macarthur (1800–1882), who was one of the most active and influential horticulturists in Australia in the mid-to-late 19th century.
A population of this species near Darwin was previously named Ptychosperma bleeseri and thought to be lost due to habitat loss.
The leaves are pinnately compound and can have between 15 and 40 pinnae on each side of the rachis. As an adult, its stems can grow up to 30 feet tall, although most adults are typically 10 to 15 feet tall.