Far south in New Caledonia.

[MatNC]

Hi all,

Yesterday I was making a trip in the extreme southern part of new caledonia. I was going to a particular botanic reserve I already visited 2 times.

But never took some decent pics.

I had already found seven species and I was there for three of those.

3h driving and 5H inside the forest. 5km only and just took 500m in elevation so it was not really hard. But some part were particulary difficult and it

was a rainy day. So climbing on big block stone was not easy and I made some very interesting slides on them...

Here are the first pics.

There are a lot of palms everywhere and I always start by this group of Basselinia eriostachys. Pure beauty.

this pic is from the first trip I done here

those are new one

this is a colored one from the clump of the first pic

A taller one with inflorescence

An inflorescence that was on the ground

Mat.

[MatNC]

Always B.eriostachys

Say I to mum...

this is what you can see 2m around mum. Be carefull where you put your feet.

Mat.

[MatNC]

I said you I was there for three. This is one of the three. Be prepared before looking at following pics. I'm already sure you never saw

this particular form of Chambeyronia macrocarpa...

and I'm already sure too that some of you will say they have one or several like this one. And I'm always sure that others will say it's the regular one.

definitely not possible and this form is particulary impressive.

This is the first one I discovered during my very first trip here. no comments.

Mat.

[MatNC]

Others form have usualy stiffer leaflets, Definitely many much more leaflets, shorter petiole. And My friends those one have ultra wide leaflets !

very impressive. For sure this is partially cause of shade. but as you will see they take some sun. I had already seen several population of Chambey including

some other regular one. With lot of shade and often many more shade they never shown those extreme characteristic. I had seen one in cultivation few month ago close to other form.

very easy to make the difference.

Here is another one 10m away from the first one

This is another one a little bit younger and showing a red new leaf

Mat.

[MatNC]

20 cm on my right

20 cm on my left

2m on my left. here is mum. pretty tall.

Mat.

[MatNC]

Try to count how much they are here

Tell me if I'm wrong but couldn't remember seeing a so fully colored new leaf on a seedling of that size

Mat.

[MatNC]

here are few pics to correctly illustrate some of those particular characteristic

first pic to have a correct idea of the size of this one. We all have some of this size.

you could already apreciate what I means by longer petiole

bonus on this one a red leaf. You can now understand why I said others are siffer. They all show very drooping leaflets.

Please remember size of the crownshaft. and look at how wide this leafleat is !

Now take a look at the distance between leaflets. reason why there are so few on the pics you saw about some taller one.

Mat.

[MatNC]

This is another one from the three I wanted to show. This is one of the Caledonian dream team. Kentiopsis pyriformis purple form.

When you enter the reserve... there are imediately tausends of seedlings. But to find a big one you can search some hours. Those one were eaten for their edible growing point.

After taking a look at the first bunch of B.eriostachys and after seeing the first two big Chambey UWL (ulta wide leaflets)... I always go to take a look at this first K.pyriformis.

It's a pure beauty.

Almost red-brown crownshaft

Heavy channeled petiole with very sharp edges you can easly cut yourself with.

looking at the crown

Mat.

[MatNC]

Here are some nice seedling pics. They are almost distichous like K.magnifica.

Mat.

[Jeff Searle]

Mat,

Great pictures from habitat. Please, keep them coming. This is a group of palms that we rarely get to see in habitat.

Jeff

[MatNC]

See how much leaflets are nervured.

the two following pics show the last I found in elevation. Around 280m. Above this elevation in the area I was no other Kentiopsis but lot of other palms.

those palms in elevation were definitely much more colored than others. They are taking much more sun cause we leave the heavy forest.

Mat.

[MatNC]

Those pics are from green Kentiopsis. It was another reason why I was thinking to come back. To check if there are a lot. To be sure it's nothing else.

I found some yesterday. Let me know what you think about those green one.

Mat.

[Tyrone]

Thanks for the pics. It looks very wet in the forest. It's great to see so many little Chambeyronia's growing in the forest.

Best regards

Tyrone

[MatNC]

some other pics from green Kentiopsis.

bobsleg is possible here

Mat.

[MatNC]

Now take a look at some taller one. They are very impressive.

Mat.

[MatNC]

other big one with some details. very impressive but very difficult to found.

Don't you want one at home now...

Mat.

[MatNC]

Nursery

Pandanus and Kentiopsis forest.

Mat.

[MatNC]

This one was very tall. more than 10m of trunk fore sure. The only one I found that will flowering soon. No old inflorescence on the ground. Maybe the first time.

Mat.

[MatNC]

Tanks Jeff and Tyone.

Chambeyronia mac is growing like weeds everywhere in NC. No problem with this one. Would like to be the same for some others.

Stop pics for today. will continue tomorrow. 4 species remaining.

Mat.

[Urban Rainforest]

Mat, Thanks for posting those awesome habitat pics! What a great way to spend the day. Looking forward to more pics .

Thanks,

Steve

[SubTropicRay]

Thanks for the great photos Mat.

[BS Man about Palms]

Just incredible again Mat!. Were you able to find any of those Mac in much more sun? Did I understand right that someone you know has seedlings? If so, are they keeping this trait?

Thanks again for the photos and the trip!!!

Bill

[Peter]

Thanks for the brilliant photos Mat, and I look forward to more. I'm not sure if you're into plants other than palms, but do you know the identity of the plant with the long leaves in pic#3? It looks like it could be some type of Meryta?

[deezpalms]

Just incredible Mat! Thank you very much for posting these habitat pictures!!

[freakypalmguy]

Nice work Matt. Very interesting pics.

Matt

[pogobob]

Thanks Mat! We are very lucky to have you showing us the wonders of New Caledonia...please keep feeding us!

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Mat, thanks for the great habitat photos. That wide leaf Chambeyronia macrocarpa is just incredible!

[richnorm]

Merci beaucoup Mat. Unfortunately I couldn't view all the pics for some reason. Never mind, I will vist NC next year as it's only a 2 or 3 hour flight from here. When's a good time to visit? I had in mind July.

cheers

Richard

[Kim]

Those Chambeyronia leaflets in post #7 are astonishing, maybe others have seen leaflets this large, but I have not. Thank you, Mat, for sharing your expedition with us, habitat photos are my favorite.

[MatNC]

Just incredible again Mat!. Were you able to find any of those Mac in much more sun? Did I understand right that someone you know has seedlings? If so, are they keeping this trait?

Thanks again for the photos and the trip!!!

Bill

Hi Bill, Yes they were some very tall specimen that reach the canopy and had the head in full sun. It's much more difficult to see the difference then. I estimated the number of leaflets each side of the rachis. just a little bit less than usually. but take in mind another standard Chambey same size and full sun too, they don't have the same aspect.

and as I said I had seen several population of regular Chambeyronia, sometimes in deeper forest, and they never shown those extreme characteristic.

about your last question, I saw just one in cultivation and it had definitely the same characteristic. It was already a nice palm close to trunking if I correctly remember.

Mat.

[MatNC]

Thanks for the brilliant photos Mat, and I look forward to more. I'm not sure if you're into plants other than palms, but do you know the identity of the plant with the long leaves in pic#3? It looks like it could be some type of Meryta?

Sorry Peter but can't help you. I'm just in palm.

Mat.

[MatNC]

Many thanks all for your comments. Will continue this evening. I'm going somewhere today to take a look at some B.deplancheii.

Mat.

[paulgila]

simply amazing shots,mat.this is the kind of thing we all dream of,i'm sure.

[Walter John]

Thanks mate.

[fiji jim]

great pics mat.

those newcal palms sure are sweet to look at

its a pitty that they are so slow growing

jim

[tim_brissy_13]

Thanks Mat, great shots. I just wish my K. pyriformis would hurry up and look like some of those...

[DoomsDave]

Merci beacoup, Mr. Mat!

More pictures, please.

We can't get enough of New Caledonia palms, as you should be able to tell by now.

(Hmm. Wonder if France can use another lawyer?)

[_Keith]

here are few pics to correctly illustrate some of those particular characteristic

Mat.

Wow, look at all of those pokes and scratches. That is a gardener's hand if I have ever seen one. Congrats.

[MatNC]

Hi all,

Many thanks for all the new comments.

We can now continue to look at some other pics.

Here are some B.pancheri. There were a lot of them growing in elevation but very few with kentiopsis at lower elevation.

Mat.

[MatNC]

some Cyphophoenix fulcitus in elevation too.

Take a look at this one. Like monsters with their inflorescences.

Mat.