Aiphanes hirsuta subsp. intermedia Borchs. & R.Bernal

  • Authority

    Borchsenius, Finn & Bernal-González, Rodrigo. 1996. Aiphanes (Palmae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 70: 1-94. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Arecaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Aiphanes hirsuta subsp. intermedia Borchs. & R.Bernal

  • Type

    Type. COLOMBIA. Chocó: San José del Palmar, 500 m E of town, 1300 m, 15 Mar 1991 (fl, fem fl, fr), Bernal & Borch-senius 1962 (holotype, COL; isotypes, AAU, CHOCO, NY).

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - A subsp, hirsuta petiolo 43-80 cm longo, pinnis 44-81 cm longis, inflorescentia ramis 60-108, et fructu 11-15 mm diametro endocarpo longitudinaliter exarato differt.

    Subspecies Description - Stems 1-4, each 2-8 m tall, 6-10 cm diam., densely armed. Leaves 5-7; sheath 40 cm long, densely armed; petiole 43-80 cm long; rachis 220-242 cm long, unarmed; pinnae 31-32 per side, in rather lax groups of 3-5 separated by 13-22 cm, narrowly cuneate to cuneate, 3.5-8 times as long as wide, finely plicate, glabrous adaxially, minutely spinulose abaxially, truncate to lobulate-praemorse at apex; middle pinnae 44-81 x 14-15 cm. Peduncle 15-85 cm long at flowering, to 120 cm in fruit, 8-25 mm diam. at apex, covered with black spines, to 3 cm long; rachis 50-75 cm long, with numerous spines, to 1 cm long proximally, fewer and shorter distally; rachillae 60-108, densely covered with brown spinules, ca. 0.3 mm long, and with some short spines proximally; basal rachillae 40-84 cm long, without flowers for 2-8 cm, ca. 4 mm diam. in the androgynous part, ca. 2 mm diam. distally. Staminate flowers ca. 1.5 mm long (dry), violet to white, anthers purple, pollen orange. Pistillate flowers 4-5 mm long (dry), purple; sepals rounded; petals acute; pistil with whitish yellow spinules proximally. Fruit dark red, 11-13 mm diam.; epicarp minutely spinulose; endocarp with 3 deep broad longitudinal furrows, almost without pits.

  • Discussion

    This subspecies includes plants with long, narrowly cuneate pinnae, spiny inflorescences with 60-90 rachillae, and small to medium-sized fruit with longitudinally grooved endocarp having few pits. In the north it forms a transition to subsp, kalbreyeri; in the south it forms a transition to subsp, fosteriorum, which has more broadly cuneate pinnae, less spiny inflorescences, larger, glabrous fruits, and a more globose endocarp with numerous deep pits. In the central Choco, subsp, intermedia occurs side by side with subsp, hirsuta, but at higher altitudes. Pollen of A. hirsuta subsp, intermedia has perforate, tectate exine and is spineless or provided with numerous supratectal warts or spines (Figs. 13E-F, 14N).

  • Distribution

    Western slopes of Cordillera Occidental in the departments of Choco and Valle in central Colombia, 1300-2200 m, often left on pasture.

    Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America|