Monographs Details:
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.
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
Arecaceae
Description:
Genus Description - Tall, slender, multi-stemmed or single-stemmed, unarmed, monoecious, canopy plants. Leaves pinnate; pinnae straight, linear-lanceolate, ± pendulous, inserted at regular intervals; sheath tubular, glabrous, the crownshaft cylindrical, prolonged beyond trunk. Inflorescences 1 or 2 per plant, infrafoliar at anthesis, 1-branched, horizontally oriented; prophyll and peduncular bract tubular, caducous; rachillae numerous, whitish tomentose, spreading in all planes, becoming ± pendulous when fruiting, bearing triads of one pistillate and two staminate flowers, the apical part usually bearing only pistillate flowers. Fruits small, globose, purplish-black to black at maturity, 1-seeded.
Genus Description - Tall, slender, multi-stemmed or single-stemmed, unarmed, monoecious, canopy plants. Leaves pinnate; pinnae straight, linear-lanceolate, ± pendulous, inserted at regular intervals; sheath tubular, glabrous, the crownshaft cylindrical, prolonged beyond trunk. Inflorescences 1 or 2 per plant, infrafoliar at anthesis, 1-branched, horizontally oriented; prophyll and peduncular bract tubular, caducous; rachillae numerous, whitish tomentose, spreading in all planes, becoming ± pendulous when fruiting, bearing triads of one pistillate and two staminate flowers, the apical part usually bearing only pistillate flowers. Fruits small, globose, purplish-black to black at maturity, 1-seeded.
Discussion:
Multi-stemmed ("clustered") plants suckering at base, growing in swampy places. Seeds with ruminate endosperm. Eophyll bifid ---- E. oleracea.
Single-stemmed ("solitary") plants never suckering at base, usually growing in more welldrained places. Seeds with homogeneous endosperm. Eophyll pinnate ---- E. precatoria.