Prestoea acuminata (Willd.) H.E.Moore var. acuminata

  • Authority

    Henderson, A. & Galeano, Gloria A. 1996. , , and (Palmae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 72: 1-90. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Arecaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Prestoea acuminata (Willd.) H.E.Moore var. acuminata

  • Type

    Type. Venezuela. Caracas, Buena Vista, n.d., Bredemeyer s.n. (holotype, B, destroyed). Neotype (here designated). Venezuela. Aragua: 4 km E of Colonia Tovar, 2000 m, 1 Oct 1963, Steyermark 91608 (neotype, NY; isoneotype, BH)

  • Synonyms

    Oreodoxa frigida Kunth, Aiphanes praga Kunth, Euterpe andicola Brongn. ex Mart., Euterpe haenkeana Brongn. ex Mart., Oenocarpus utilis Klotzsch, Oenocarpus caracasanus Mart., Euterpe brevivaginata Mart., Euterpe purpurea Engel, Euterpe megalochlamys Burret, Euterpe chaunostachys Burret, Euterpe oocarpa Burret, Euterpe andina Burret, Euterpe trichoclada Burret, Euterpe aphanolepis Burret, Euterpe microspadix Burret, Euterpe zephyria Dugand, Prestoea allenii H.E.Moore

  • Description

    Variety Description - Stems often cespitose, to 15 m tall, to 15 cm diam. Inflorescences often somewhat elongate; rachillae angular, with scattered to numerous short crustose or granular hairs, occasionally intermixed with a few longer, flexuous, branched hairs or sometimes with a dense covering of branched hairs; flowers and fruits somewhat sunken in the rachillae; fruits globose, to 1 cm diam., fruiting perianth to 4.5 mm long

  • Discussion

    Types of several synonyms from B and P have not been located; presumably they are destroyed or mislaid. Those collections of Humboldt and Bonpland (types of Oreodoxa frigida and Aiphanes praga) are not represented in the microfiche of their herbarium (Inter-Documentation Company, microfiche number 6209, Herbarium Humboldt, Bonpland, et Kunth). These names are therefore interpreted from the descriptions, and from newer collections from (or from near) the type localities. Since the only Prestoea occurring at all type localities is P. acuminata, we have little doubt that the synonyms belong here.

    Local names and uses. Bolivia: palma ramosilla; Colombia: botsacsha, palmicho, palmito; Costa Rica: palm heart dulce; Ecuador: palmito; Panama: maquenque; Peru: diablo fuente; Venezuela: palmicho.

    In Colombia the stems are used for house construction; and staminate flowers are used to make a tea to cleanse the blood (Dryander 978). In Ecuador the hearts are harvested and sold to canning factories (Balslev & Henderson, 1987).

  • Common Names

    palma ramosilla, botsacsha, palmicho, palmito, palm heart dulce, palmito, maquenque, diablo fuente, palmicho

  • Distribution

    Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Andean regions of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia (Fig. 24); in scattered patches in forest in mountain regions, usually on steep slopes at 1000-2650 m in areas of high rainfall. This species is absent from Trinidad and the Peninsula de Paria in Venezuela (Sucre), where its habitat is occupied by Euterpe broadwayi and Prestoea pubigera, and P. pubigera, respectively.

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