Bactris macroacantha Mart.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Arecaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Bactris macroacantha Mart.

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Amazonas: Canuma, s.d., C. Martius 3243 (holotype, M; F negs. 18620, 18621).

  • Synonyms

    Bactris confluens var. acanthospatha Trail, Bactris platyacantha Burret, Bactris acanthospatha (Trail) Drude

  • Description

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    Species Description - Stems cespitose, often in dense clumps, 0.5-4 m tall, 2-4 cm diam., spiny or not spiny on internodes. Leaves 2-6; leaf spines black or occasionally yellowish brown, flattened (but tapering from base), to 8 cm long, dense on sheath and lateral surfaces of petiole, absent from rachis; sheath 25-47 cm long, sheath, petiole, and rachis densely brown-tomentose (often with a non-tomentose abaxial stripe; ocrea to 8 cm long; petiole 25-80 cm long; rachis 1-1.8 m long; pinnae 13-30 per side, either regularly or irregularly arranged, spreading in one or different planes, oblanceolate to sigmoid, with distinct, spinulose marginal veins (when dry with prominent, yellowish, central and marginal veins); middle pinnae (19-)28-50 × (3-) 4.5-9 cm. Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle 22-38 cm long, recurved, spiny or not spiny; prophyll 1220 cm long; peduncular bract 35-61 cm long, densely covered with brown or yellowish, appressed, flattened, laciniate spines; rachis 4.5-5 cm long; rachillae 7-12, 8.5-14 cm long, at anthesis densely covered with moniliform trichomes; triads irregularly arranged among paired or solitary staminate flowers; staminate flowers 3.5-4 mm long; sepal lobes 1.5-2 mm long; petals 3.5-4 mm long; stamens 6; pistillode absent; pistillate flowers 4-6 mm long; calyx tubular, 4-6 mm long; corolla tubular, 3-4 mm long, usually densely spinulose; staminodes minute; fruits 2.5-3.2 × 2-2.3 cm, broadly obovoid, prominently rostrate, purple-black; mesocarp juicy; endocarp turbinate or oblong, the sterile pores slightly to markedly displaced longitudinally; endocarp fibers free, numerous, with juice sacs attached; fruiting perianth with regularly and shortly lobed calyx shorter than the regularly and shortly lobed, spinulose corolla, without staminodial ring.

  • Discussion

    Bactris macroacantha is diagnosed by its pinnae with prominent marginal, spinulose veins (when dry with prominent, yellowish, central and marginal veins), peduncular bract densely covered with brown or yellowish, appressed, flattened, laciniate spines, and spinulose pistillate corolla shorter than the calyx. Synonymy was established by Henderson (1995). Scattered specimens from the eastern part of the range have much smaller fruits than those from Peru.

  • Common Names

    ñeeinó, marajá, kamancha, ñeja

  • Objects

    Specimen - 01137802, A. J. Henderson 1554, Bactris macroacantha Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Amazonas, Alvarães Mun.

    Specimen - 01137803, R. Pardini 71, Bactris macroacantha Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Pará, Santarém Mun.

  • Distribution

    Western Amazon region in Colombia (Amazonas), Peru (Cusco, Huánuco, Loreto, Pasco, San Martín, Ucayali), and Brazil (Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia) (Fig. 44B); lowland forest on terra firme at 120-370 m elevation.

    Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Peru South America| Cusco Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Pasco Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Ucayali Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America|