Monographs Details:
Authority:
Henderson, A. & Galeano, Gloria A. 1996., , and (Palmae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 72: 1-90. (Published by NYBG Press)
Henderson, A. & Galeano, Gloria A. 1996.
Family:
Arecaceae
Arecaceae
Description:
Genus Description - Stems usually tall, solitary or cespitose, erect or leaning. Leaves pinnate; sheaths closed and forming a compact crownshaft; ligule short and deciduous; petiole short or absent, rarely elongate, chanelled adaxially, rounded abaxially; rachis ridged adaxially, flattened abaxially; pinnae numerous, linear, regularly arranged and spreading in the same plane, usually pendulous, with 1-2 lateral veins on either side of midvein. Inflorescences branched to 1 order, protandrous, infrafoliar, ± horizontal at anthesis; peduncle shorter than the rachis, dorsiventrally compressed; prophyll papyraceous, bicarinate, deciduous; peduncular bract equal or subequal to prophyll, papyraceous, deciduous; rachillae usually densely tomentose, with persistent hairs; flowers in triads, or paired or solitary staminate; staminate flowers sessile; petals free, valvate; stamens 6, the filaments not inflexed apically; anthers sagittate, with latrorse dehiscence; pistillate flowers with broadly imbricate sepals and petals, the petals briefly valvate at the apex; staminodes absent (present in E. luminosa); gynoecium unilocular, uniovulate; ovule laterally attached; fruits globose or rarely ellipsoid, with subapical to lateral stigmatic remains; mesocarp with radial sclereids; endocarp fibrous, the locular epidermis crustaceous; seeds with basal embryo; hilum ellipsoid; raphe branches obscure; endosperm homogeneous or rarely ruminate; eophyll bifid or palmate.
Genus Description - Stems usually tall, solitary or cespitose, erect or leaning. Leaves pinnate; sheaths closed and forming a compact crownshaft; ligule short and deciduous; petiole short or absent, rarely elongate, chanelled adaxially, rounded abaxially; rachis ridged adaxially, flattened abaxially; pinnae numerous, linear, regularly arranged and spreading in the same plane, usually pendulous, with 1-2 lateral veins on either side of midvein. Inflorescences branched to 1 order, protandrous, infrafoliar, ± horizontal at anthesis; peduncle shorter than the rachis, dorsiventrally compressed; prophyll papyraceous, bicarinate, deciduous; peduncular bract equal or subequal to prophyll, papyraceous, deciduous; rachillae usually densely tomentose, with persistent hairs; flowers in triads, or paired or solitary staminate; staminate flowers sessile; petals free, valvate; stamens 6, the filaments not inflexed apically; anthers sagittate, with latrorse dehiscence; pistillate flowers with broadly imbricate sepals and petals, the petals briefly valvate at the apex; staminodes absent (present in E. luminosa); gynoecium unilocular, uniovulate; ovule laterally attached; fruits globose or rarely ellipsoid, with subapical to lateral stigmatic remains; mesocarp with radial sclereids; endocarp fibrous, the locular epidermis crustaceous; seeds with basal embryo; hilum ellipsoid; raphe branches obscure; endosperm homogeneous or rarely ruminate; eophyll bifid or palmate.
Distribution:
Central America| South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| West Indies|
Central America| South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| West Indies|