Astrocaryum gynacanthum Mart.

  • Authority

    Mori, S. A., et al. 1997. Guide to the vascular plants of central French Guiana: Part 1. Pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and monocotyledons. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 76: 1-422.

  • Family

    Arecaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Astrocaryum gynacanthum Mart.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Medium-sized, multi-stemmed plants of understory, 2.5-8 m X 3.5-7 cm, with 2-5(10) trunks, the internodes 2-20 cm long, armed under leaf scars with rings of shiny, flattened black spines 2-15 cm long, obliquely pointing downwards. Leaves 7-12, forming umbrella-shaped crown; sheath 10-30 cm long, fibrous at margins, densely armed with black spines; petiole 40-90 cm long, with black spines to 10 cm long; rachis 1.5-2.3 m long, basally armed with black spines; pinnae 25-45 per side, linear-lanceolate, slightly sigmoid, acuminate, 18-75 X 1-5 cm, the apical segments much wider (5-13 cm). Inflorescences pendulous; peduncle recurved, unspiny in upper half, 20-90 cm long; prophyll erect, membranous, brownish, glabrous, flattened, 13-50 cm long; peduncular bract arching, woody, brown setose abaxially, pink adixially at anthesis, 45-70 cm long, the upper half swollen, fusiform, spiny, ± 25 cm long; rachis 14-25 cm long, bearing many (to 180) rachillae 4-8 cm long. Fruits obovoid, glaborouis smooth, long - rostrate at tip, 28 -40 x 18 -20 mm brownish - red, dehiscing to expose bright orange mesocarp at maturity; cupule with long, black, flexuous, flattened, shimy spines at margins.

    Distribution and Ecology - FL (Oct - Dec), fr (Jan - July), everywhere on all type of soil and drainage, but never in high densisties.