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:
Species Description - Stems solitary or cespitose and then with 2-12 stems per plant, erect or slightly leaning, (3-)6-15 m tall, 4-20 cm diam., usually gray with lichens, often with a cone of roots visible at the base. Leaves 4-10, spreading or erect; sheath closed for 1/3-1/2 its length and forming a partial crownshaft, 26-80(-108) cm long, green, dark green, purplish, violet, or reddish brown, densely to moderately covered with appressed, brown, fimbriate scales; petiole 0-30(-60) cm long, densely whitish brown tomentose adaxially, usually glabrous abaxially, glabrescent; rachis (0.6-)l.1-2.6 m long, with tomentum like that of petiole; pinnae 30-60 per side, regularly spaced and stiffly spreading in the same horizontal plane, seldom erect, subopposite or alternate, linear-lanceolate, coriaceous, with prominent midvein adaxially and abaxially and with several prominent lateral veins, the midvein with ramenta abaxially; basal pinna 39-69 x 0.5-2 cm; middle pinnae (0.3-)0.6-l.2 m x (2-)3-6.5 cm; apical pinna 13-34 x 0.5-2.5 cm. Inflorescences corymbose, infrafoliar at anthesis; peduncle 3-20 cm long, 1-3(-4) cm diam. at peduncular bract scar, terete or slightly dorsiventrally compressed; prophyll 23-51 cm long, 4-6(-12) cm diam.; peduncular bract 63-98 cm long including a 3 cm long umbo, to 6(-12) cm diam., almost terete, often with other incomplete bracts present distally; rachis (17-)40-85 cm long; rachillae 23-117, 18-74 cm long proximally, 9.5-23 cm long distally, to 6 mm diam. in fruit, each subtended by a small bract or sometimes the proximal few rachillae with bracts to 6 cm long, almost glabrous or typically 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 in triads proximally, paired or solitary staminate distally; triad bracteole low, apiculate; first flower bracteole obscure, second and third flower bracteoles ± equal, apiculate, 0.3-0.5 mm long; staminate flowers 4-6 mm long, either sessile or on short, flattened pedicels; sepals deltate to narrowly triangular, 1.5-2.5 mm long, gibbous; petals ovate or lanceolate, 3-5.5 mm long, white or pink with purple apex; stamens arranged on a short receptacle; filaments 1.5-2.5 mm long, flattened; anthers 2-3.5 mm long; pistillode 2-3 mm long, trifid at apex; pistillate flowers 2.5-4 mm long; sepals shallowly triangular or depressed-ovate, 2-4 mm long; petals shallowly triangular to depressed ovate, 2-4 mm long; staminodes deltate or digitate; fruits globose, rarely ovoid or obovoid, 1-1.2(-1.8) cm diam., the stigmatic remains lateral; epicarp purple-black, sparsely and minutely tuberculate; seeds globose, 0.8-1.4 cm diam.; endosperm ruminate; eophyll bifid.
Species Description - Stems solitary or cespitose and then with 2-12 stems per plant, erect or slightly leaning, (3-)6-15 m tall, 4-20 cm diam., usually gray with lichens, often with a cone of roots visible at the base. Leaves 4-10, spreading or erect; sheath closed for 1/3-1/2 its length and forming a partial crownshaft, 26-80(-108) cm long, green, dark green, purplish, violet, or reddish brown, densely to moderately covered with appressed, brown, fimbriate scales; petiole 0-30(-60) cm long, densely whitish brown tomentose adaxially, usually glabrous abaxially, glabrescent; rachis (0.6-)l.1-2.6 m long, with tomentum like that of petiole; pinnae 30-60 per side, regularly spaced and stiffly spreading in the same horizontal plane, seldom erect, subopposite or alternate, linear-lanceolate, coriaceous, with prominent midvein adaxially and abaxially and with several prominent lateral veins, the midvein with ramenta abaxially; basal pinna 39-69 x 0.5-2 cm; middle pinnae (0.3-)0.6-l.2 m x (2-)3-6.5 cm; apical pinna 13-34 x 0.5-2.5 cm. Inflorescences corymbose, infrafoliar at anthesis; peduncle 3-20 cm long, 1-3(-4) cm diam. at peduncular bract scar, terete or slightly dorsiventrally compressed; prophyll 23-51 cm long, 4-6(-12) cm diam.; peduncular bract 63-98 cm long including a 3 cm long umbo, to 6(-12) cm diam., almost terete, often with other incomplete bracts present distally; rachis (17-)40-85 cm long; rachillae 23-117, 18-74 cm long proximally, 9.5-23 cm long distally, to 6 mm diam. in fruit, each subtended by a small bract or sometimes the proximal few rachillae with bracts to 6 cm long, almost glabrous or typically 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 in triads proximally, paired or solitary staminate distally; triad bracteole low, apiculate; first flower bracteole obscure, second and third flower bracteoles ± equal, apiculate, 0.3-0.5 mm long; staminate flowers 4-6 mm long, either sessile or on short, flattened pedicels; sepals deltate to narrowly triangular, 1.5-2.5 mm long, gibbous; petals ovate or lanceolate, 3-5.5 mm long, white or pink with purple apex; stamens arranged on a short receptacle; filaments 1.5-2.5 mm long, flattened; anthers 2-3.5 mm long; pistillode 2-3 mm long, trifid at apex; pistillate flowers 2.5-4 mm long; sepals shallowly triangular or depressed-ovate, 2-4 mm long; petals shallowly triangular to depressed ovate, 2-4 mm long; staminodes deltate or digitate; fruits globose, rarely ovoid or obovoid, 1-1.2(-1.8) cm diam., the stigmatic remains lateral; epicarp purple-black, sparsely and minutely tuberculate; seeds globose, 0.8-1.4 cm diam.; endosperm ruminate; eophyll bifid.
Discussion:
This is the largest species in the genus, and it is often a conspicuous component of montane forests in Central America and the Andes. Plants from the Antilles have cylindrical rachillae which are glabrous or rarely with a few crustose hairs. Read (1979) reported stellate hairs on specimens from Dominica. Inflorescences are more corymbose than those from mainland populations, and triads are superficial on the rachillae. Antillean specimens also have slightly larger fruits. In general, Antillean populations are more homogeneous than those from the mainland and occur at lower elevations, usually below 1000 m. We recognize them as var. montana, based on the above differences.A few collections from high elevations in the northeastern Andes have very large, almost ellipsoid fruits, with large, persistent perianths. We recognize these as var. dasystachys.Specimens from Central and South America have angular rachillae with either crustose or flexuous hairs, although occasionally both hair types occur together. Rarely rachillae are glabrous. Inflorescences are more elongate, and triads are slightly sunken in the rachillae. Populations usually occur above 1000 m. We recognize this widespread form as var. acuminata. The presence of a partial crownshaft is usually consistent in this variety, but occasionally populations are found with plants with and without partial crown-shafts, and these latter forms resemble P. ensiformis.
This is the largest species in the genus, and it is often a conspicuous component of montane forests in Central America and the Andes. Plants from the Antilles have cylindrical rachillae which are glabrous or rarely with a few crustose hairs. Read (1979) reported stellate hairs on specimens from Dominica. Inflorescences are more corymbose than those from mainland populations, and triads are superficial on the rachillae. Antillean specimens also have slightly larger fruits. In general, Antillean populations are more homogeneous than those from the mainland and occur at lower elevations, usually below 1000 m. We recognize them as var. montana, based on the above differences.A few collections from high elevations in the northeastern Andes have very large, almost ellipsoid fruits, with large, persistent perianths. We recognize these as var. dasystachys.Specimens from Central and South America have angular rachillae with either crustose or flexuous hairs, although occasionally both hair types occur together. Rarely rachillae are glabrous. Inflorescences are more elongate, and triads are slightly sunken in the rachillae. Populations usually occur above 1000 m. We recognize this widespread form as var. acuminata. The presence of a partial crownshaft is usually consistent in this variety, but occasionally populations are found with plants with and without partial crown-shafts, and these latter forms resemble P. ensiformis.