Rhopalostylis

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Cladus: Commelinids
Ordo: Arecales

Familia: Arecaceae
Subfamilia: Arecoideae
Tribus: Areceae
Subtribus: Rhopalostylidinae
Genus: Rhopalostylis
Species (2): R. baueri - R. sapida

Name

Rhopalostylis H.Wendl. & Drude, 1875

Synonyms

Homotypic
Eora O.F.Cook, J. Heredity 18: 409 (1927).

References

Wendland, H. & Drude, C.G.O. 1875. Linnaea 39: 180

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Rhopalostylis in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 Jun 09. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Rhopalostylis. Published online. Accessed: Jun 09 2019.
The Plant List 2013. Rhopalostylis in The Plant List Version 1.1. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 Jun 09.
Tropicos.org 2019. Rhopalostylis. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 Jun 09.

Vernacular names

Rhopalostylis is a genus of two species of palms native to the South Pacific. Both are smooth-trunked, with regular ringed scars from fallen leaves. The leaves are 3–5 m in length, and the leaf bases encircle the trunk.

Distribution

Rhopalostylis baueri occurs on Norfolk Island and the Kermadec Islands northeast of New Zealand; the Kermadec Islands population, formerly separated as R. cheesemanii, was included in R. baueri in 2005 after comparison revealed no significant differences. R. sapida, known as the nikau palm, is the only palm native to mainland New Zealand, and is found in lowland forests in the North Island, in coastal areas of the South Island as far south as Banks Peninsula, and on the Chatham Islands at 44°S. R. sapida thus has the southernmost range of any palm genus.
Classification

Subfamily: Arecoideae; tribe: Areceae; subtribe: Rhopalostylidinae. Rhopalostylis is closely related to the Lord Howe Island genus Hedyscepe.
Species

Image	Trunk	Scientific name	Common name	Distribution
		Rhopalostylis baueri	Norfolk Island palm, niau, Kermadec nikau	Norfolk Island (Australia) and Kermadec Islands (New Zealand)
		Rhopalostylis sapida	Nikau	New Zealand the North Island, and on the South Island as far south as Okarito, west and Banks Peninsula in the east. Chatham Island and Pitt Island/Rangiauria

References

H.A. Wendland & Drude, Linnaea 39:180, 234. 1875 Type:R. baueri

de Lange, P.J.; Gardner, R.O.; Crowcroft, G.M.; Stalker, F.; Cameron, E.K.; Braggins, J.E; Christian, M.L. 2005: Vascular flora of Norfolk Island: some additions and taxonomic notes. New Zealand Journal of Botany 43: 563-596.
"Trilepidea Newsletter (July 2005). (New names for the Kermadec nikau palm and Three Kings cabbage tree)" (PDF). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
Kew palms checklist: Rhopalostylis