Monographs Details:
Authority:

Henderson, A. 2000. (Palmae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 79: 1-181. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:

Arecaceae
Description:

Species Description - Stems solitary or cespitose, subterranean or aerial and then 5-60 cm tall, 0.8-2 cm diam., covered with persistent, decaying leaf bases. Leaves 4-8; leaf spines widely scattered, black, terete, to 5 cm long, on sheath, petiole, and proximal part of rachis, sometimes absent; sheath 11-20 cm long, persistent, fibrous at apex, sheath, petiole and rachis brown-tomentose; ocrea to 10 cm long; petiole 40-75 cm long; rachis 45-55 cm long; pinnae 8-11 per side, irregularly arranged in clusters of 2-4, spreading in different planes or more or less in the same plane, sigmoid, aristate, minutely spiny on the margins; middle pinnae 19-28 × 2.5-4 cm. Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle 13-20 cm long, straight, spiny or not spiny; prophyll 9-12 cm long; peduncular bract 16-25 cm long, densely covered with black or brown spines to 1.5 cm long, glabrescent; rachis absent; rachilla 1, 3-4 cm long; triads regularly arranged; staminate flowers to 1 cm long, persistent; sepal lobes to 1.5 cm long; petals to 1 cm long; stamens not seen; pistillate flowers to 6 mm long; calyx urceolate, to 3 mm long; corolla urceolate, to 6 mm long, spinulose; staminodial ring adnate to corolla; fruits 2.5-3 × 1.5-2 cm, densely crowded, ellipsoid or widely ovoid, purple-black; mesocarp juicy; endocarp ellipsoid, the sterile pores displaced longitudinally, the fertile pore displaced latitudinally; endocarp fibers free, numerous, with juice sacs attached; fruiting perianth with small calyx and tubular, many-lobed corolla, with staminodial ring.

Discussion:

Bactris gastoniana is diagnosed by its short stem, sigmoid, aristate, 8-11 pinnae per side, inflorescence with 1 rachilla, staminodial ring, and purple-black fruits.
Distribution:

Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|

Common Names:

marajá, anuya wili, hanaimaka, naimacca, tamutubë