Bactris guineensis (L.) H.E.Moore

Authority

Henderson, A. 2000. (Palmae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 79: 1-181. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Arecaceae

Scientific Name

Bactris guineensis (L.) H.E.Moore

Type

Type. Jacquin, Select. Stirp, amer, hist., pl. 171, fig. 1, 1763 (lectotype, designated by Moore, 1963).

Synonyms

Bactris minor Jacq., Guilielma piritu H.Karst., Bactris horrida Oerst., Bactris oraria L.H.Bailey, Cocos guineensis L., Bactris rotunda Stokes, Bactris piritu (H.Karst.) H.Wendl.

Description

Species Description - Stems cespitose, spreading by rhizomes, sometimes forming large clumps, 0.8-3 m tall, 2-3 cm diam., often covered with persistent, decaying leaf bases. Leaves 5-11; leaf spines yellowish, black at base and apex, terete or slightly flattened, to 9(-15) cm long, dense and short on sheath, scattered and longer on petiole and rachis; sheath 15-60 cm long, fibrous on margins, sheath, petiole, and rachis whitish brown-tomentose; ocrea to 5 cm long; petiole to 5 cm long; rachis 20-40 cm long; pinnae 20-42 per side, regularly or slightly irregularly arranged (often with gaps), spreading more or less in the same plane or in different planes, linear or lanceolate, asymmetrically and briefly bifid subapically, pale gray-green, readily falling from dried specimens; middle pinnae 15-30 × 0.9-2 cm. Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle 10-20 cm long, straight, spiny; prophyll to 20 cm long; peduncular bract 25-35 cm long, whitish tomentose, moderately covered with spreading, yellowish spines to 1 cm long; rachis 2-5 cm long; rachillae 11-30, 8-11 cm long, at anthesis densely covered with moniliform trichomes; triads irregularly arranged among paired or solitary staminate flowers; staminate flowers 3-4 mm long; sepal lobes 1.5-2 mm long; petals 3-4 mm long; stamens 6; pistillode small; pistillate flowers 2.5-4 mm long; calyx cupular, 0.7-1 mm long; corolla tubular, 2.5-4 mm long; staminodes minute or absent; fruits 1.5-2 cm diam., depressed-globose, briefly rostrate, purple-black; mesocarp juicy; endocarp depressed-oblong, the sterile pores markedly displaced longitudinally to one end; endocarp fibers numerous, with juice sacs attached; fruiting perianth with entire, 3-lobed calyx and truncate corolla, without staminodial ring.

Discussion

Bactris guineensis is diagnosed by its linear, pale gray green pinnae that are asymmetrically and briefly bifid at the apex and readily fall from dried specimens. Synonymy was established by de Nevers et al. (1996). Glassman (1972) and Henderson et al. (1995) included Aiphanes minima (Gaertner) Burret in synonymy here but it does not belong.

Distribution and Ecology: Pacific slope of Central America in Nicaragua (Chontales, Granada), Costa Rica (Guanacaste, Puntarenas), Panama (Cocle, Los Santos, Panama), northern Colombia (Atlantico, Bolivar, Cordoba, La Guajira, Magdalena, Sucre), and Venezuela (Bolivar, Cojedes, Guarico, Monagas, Portuguesa, Zulia) (Fig. 36A); open, often disturbed places, and deciduous forest, often near the coast, in areas that experience prolonged dry seasons, 10-400 m elevation.

Common Names

lata, lata de corozo, viscoyol, Coyolillo, coyolito, caña brava, caña brava blanca, corocillo, uvita de monte, uvito, jubita, pinkicho, piritu

Distribution

Nicaragua Central America| Chontales Nicaragua Central America| Granada Nicaragua Central America| Guanacaste Costa Rica Central America| Puntarenas Costa Rica Central America| Coclé Panamá Central America| Los Santos Panama Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| Colombia South America| Atlántico Colombia South America| Bolívar Colombia South America| Córdoba Colombia South America| La Guajira Colombia South America| Magdalena Colombia South America| Sucre Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Cojedes Venezuela South America| Guárico Venezuela South America| Monagas Venezuela South America| Portuguesa Venezuela South America| Zulia Venezuela South America|