Authority:

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

Family:

Arecaceae

Discussion:

Type. B. guineensis (Linn.) H. E. Moore.

Usually cespitose, armed palms; lamina bifid, simple to more or less regularly pinnate, ciliate at margin. Inflorescences spicate or with simple rachillas; pistillate flowers among the staminate flowers; fruit with an osseous endocarp. The present delimitation of the genus Bactris inclusive Yuyba, Pyrenoglyphis, and Guilielma is widely accepted in the current botanical literature. Bactris is a large, rather variable genus with perhaps about 200 species occurring in tropical America in the hot lowlands and on the mountain-slopes at lower and middle elevations usually not surpassing 2000 m altitude. Several species are known to occur in the Guayana Highland.