Plants small to large. Stems solitary, erect, slender (rarely) to robust (more than 20 cm diam.), at first covered by persistent leaf sheaths, later becoming bare or covered with persistent petiole bases, ringed conspicuously or obscurely with leaf scars. Leaves: petiole not split at base, strongly armed [unarmed]; abaxial hastula minute or absent; adaxial hastula conspicuous; blade palmate or costapalmate; plication induplicate; segments basally connate, lanceolate, not producing fibers between segments. Inflorescences axillary within crown of leaves, paniculate with 3–5 orders of branching, about as ± as long as leaves; prophyll membranaceous; peduncular bracts many, obscuring rachis; rachillae pubescent. Flowers bisexual [unisexual], borne singly along rachillae [in small groups]; perianth 2-seriate; calyx cupulate, 3-lobed; corolla 3-lobed, valvate; stamens 6, connate in short tube; gynoecium: pistils 3, distinct basally, glabrous; styles connate, slender. Fruits drupes; exocarp blackish, smooth; mesocarp fleshy; endocarp bony. Seeds globose or ellipsoid; endosperm homogeneous; embryo lateral; eophyll undivided, lanceolate. xn = 18.

Distribution

Introduced in Fla., West Indies, Bermuda, native to Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands, and Australia.

Discussion

Species 25+ (2 in the flora).

Selected References

Butts, E. H. 1959. Livistona chinensis naturalized in Florida. Principes 3: 133.

Lower Taxa

Livistona chinensis, Livistona rotundifolia

Key

1	Inflorescences with 3 orders of branching; fruits oblong (rarely globose), ripening from green to blue-green	Livistona chinensis
1	Inflorescences with 5 orders of branching, immediately 3-forking to 3 equal main axes; fruits globose, ripening from green through orange to black	Livistona rotundifolia