Fruiting phenology, seed and seedling morphology of Bentinckia condapanna Berry ex Roxb., an altitude specific endemic palm species of the southern Western Ghats

Bentinckia condapanna is an endemic palm of the southern Western Ghats, which holds crucial ecological impact since it is a food source for many endemic frugivorous fauna. Patchy populations confined amongst cliffy niches is a cozy sight concerning consistent demographic loss. Seeds are the sole reproductive propagules of the vulnerable species; nevertheless, few data are available regarding fruiting phenology and seed biology. The present study monitored the fruiting phenology, seed and seedling morphology of B. condapanna, which is a pre-requisite for the conservation strategies. The fruit maturation in the palm is a supra-annual process. It exhibited year-round flowering and fruiting; however, mast spadix exposure was found during the dry season and the peak fruit maturation overlapped the period between May to August. The sinuate ridged seed lodges a top-shaped embryo in the cavity beneath the operculum, proximal to the endocarpic stalk-like ridge above the hilum. The moisture content of the mature seed indicates its recalcitrant nature. The seed germination was found to be adjacent and displayed a slow erratic pattern with low germination and a prolonged dormancy period. The cotyledonary petiole emerges from the seed as a button-like structure, which later subtends the primary root and the plumular axis. Eophyll emerges from the plumular axis subsequently after the emission of a single ligule and two cataphylls. The suspected recalcitrance with dormancy nature might be the contributing factor for its low regeneration in the habitat.