Licuala ramsayi var. tuckeri

[KrisKupsch]

Here are three of my largest Licuala ramsayi var. tuckeri originally sourced from Cape York Penninsula, the two largest were planted in 1998 (15 years old) so yes Pedro they are a bit slow however I think they could be faster if I planted them near the typical ramsayi var. ramsayi which I have most in a swamp and they are over head high now. The var.tuckeri's tend to have floppy leaves with the top third of the leaf often tilting vertical, possibly a way to avoid the excessive sun of Cape York ? They do have some spines at times however are restricted to the lower 1/10 of the petiole, some are totally absent.

[Pedro 65]

YesKris , Lic tuckeri has a less uniform leaf than the standard ramsayi, not to mention the slower growth, wish my tuckeri where both the standard Thanks for posting yr pics. Pete,

[MattyB]

I had never heard of this variety. Thanks.

[KrisKupsch]

http://keys.trin.org.au/key-server/data/0e0f0504-0103-430d-8004-060d07080d04/media/Html/taxon/Licuala_ramsayi_var._tuckeri.htm

[Mr Cycad]

So Kris, what the go with this form. For example, there seems to been many unarmed plants in my backyard in Cow Bay for example, and I've seen the same all throughout the Daintree Rainforest (growing right beside plants that are fully armed). I have taken numerous photo's and posted here with zero response (both my own garden thread, and I think one that Wal did showing some once).?

[KrisKupsch]

The cape york ones dont resemble the daintree ones when you train your eye. Cape york plants are less grandous, have lower leaf circumference that tend to have floppier leaflets and shorter trees too but it really comes down to flower difference and ultimately the genetic level.

[KrisKupsch]

Key to varieties of Licuala ramsayi

Leaf sheath disintegrates into a fibrous mesh that eventually detaches from the leaf; petiole conspicuously armed with spines; flowers in groups of 24 but solitary at the tips of the rachillae . . . . . . 1. var. ramsayi

Leaf sheath remains attached to the leaf; petiole unarmed or armed with only a few, small spines at the base; flowers mostly solitary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. var. tuckeri

[Mr Cycad]

Thanks for the clarification Kris.

[KrisKupsch]

Theres a fine line isnt there!

[Daryl]

What about the suckering one? Have you seen this in habitat Kris?

[KrisKupsch]

Suckering (clumping) occurs in both varieties, however rarely. I first heard of clumping ramsayi var. tuckeri from Tin Creek on the Port Stewart rd east of Coen. I have seen clumping ramsayi var. ramsayi on the Copperload Dam road behind Cairns. Attached is a poor image of ramsayi var. tuckeri on the banks of the Pascoe River. None of these were clumpers. They were growing in monsoonal drainage lines and soaks within sclerophyll forest that would burn just 10m away from the Palms.