Monographs Details:
Authority:

Maguire, Bassett. 1972. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part IX. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 23: 1-832.
Family:

Arecaceae
Scientific Name:

Wettinia
Description:

Species Description - Monoecious palms; stems supported by prickly stiltroots; leaves with long tubular sheaths forming a crownshaft, lamina pinnate with linear-cuneate segments premorse at apex. Inflorescences usually several per node, the central one with pistillate flowers only, the lateral ones with staminate flowers, with three tubular bracts and above these two or three fusiform bracts; fruit often more or less pubescent.

Discussion:

Type. W. angusta Poepp. & Endl.

Wettinia is understood here to include Wettiniicarpus, Catoblastus, and Catostigma. The genus is apparently restricted to the montane forests of the Andes; no collections are known originating from the Guayana Highland. However, in the Macarena Range, Colombia, the genus is represented by at least one species. Specimens from this locality present in COL, Philipson & Idrobo 1941, 1966, 1990, are all identical with Cuatrecasas 9113 (COL) the type of Catoblastus cuatrecasii Dugand. Whether C. cuatrecasii is a good species or can be identified with one of the earlier described species in Catoblastus remains to be decided. Certainly several of the species as treated by Burret, Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 10: 928-931. 1930, cannot be separated and are mere synonyms.