Bactris brongniartii Mart.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Arecaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Bactris brongniartii Mart.

  • Type

    Type. Bolivia. Beni: Moxos, s.d., A. d'Orbigny 25 (holotype, P-n.v.). Bolivia. Santa Cruz: Prov. Guarayos, Rio San Martin, 14°30'S, 62°6'W, 200 m, 8 Nov 1992, /. Vargas et al. 1860 (neotype, here designated, NY).

  • Synonyms

    Bactris pallidispina Mart., Guilielma tenera H.Karst., Bactris rivularis Barb.Rodr., Bactris piscatorum Wedd. ex Drude, Bactris cuyabaensis Barb.Rodr., Bactris strictacantha Burret, Pyrenoglyphis microcarpa Burret, Pyrenoglyphis brongnartii (Mart.) Burret, Pyrenoglyphis pallidispina (Mart.) Burret, Bactris tenera (H.Karst.) H.Wendl., Pyrenoglyphis tenera (H.Karst.) Burret, Pyrenoglyphis rivularis (Barb.Rodr.) Burret, Pyrenoglyphis piscatorum (Drude ex Wedd.) Burret, Bactris burretii Glassman, Bactris microcarpa Spruce

  • Description

    Species Description - Stems cespitose, often forming large clumps by rhizomes, 3-6(-9) m tall, 3-6(-8) cm diam., spiny on internodes. Leaves 4-7; leaf spines somewhat clustered, yellowish or yellowish brown, black at base and apex, strongly flattened, spinulose and tomentose, to 4 cm long, dense on lateral surfaces of sheath and petiole, fewer on abaxial surface of rachis; sheath 3060 cm long; ocrea to 15 cm long; petiole 10-70(-120) cm long; rachis 0.9-1.7 m long; pinnae (10-)23-34 per side, irregularly arranged in clusters of 2-5, spreading in different planes, linear-lanceolate, strongly plicate, with small spines on margins; middle pinnae 45-78 x 3.5-7cm. Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle 20-60 cm long, recurved, spiny; prophyll 10-40 cm long; peduncular bract 25-62(-105) cm long, sparsely to moderately covered with flattened, yellowish spines to 2 cm long; rachis (3-)8-15 cm long; rachillae 15-33, 15-30 cm long, densely covered at anthesis with brown, moniliform trichomes; triads irregularly arranged among paired or solitary staminate flowers; staminate flowers 3.5-4.5 mm long, deciduous; sepal lobes 1-2 mm long; petals 3.54 mm long; stamens 6; pistillode small or absent; pistillate flowers to 3 mm long; calyx 2.5-3 mm long, tubular; corolla 2.5-3 mm long, tubular; staminodial ring adnate basally to corolla; fruits 1.3-1.7 cm diam., depressed-globose, purple-black, somewhat brown-tomentose; mesocarp juicy; endocarp depressed-oblong or depressed-globose, the sterile pores displaced longitudinally; endocarp fibers free, numerous, with juice sacs attached; fruiting perianth with irregularly lobed calyx half as long as the irregularly lobed corolla, staminodial ring present.

  • Discussion

    The fruits are sold in local markets for the sweet mesocarp (Beck 297).

    Bactris brongniartii is diagnosed by its yellowish brown (black at base and apex), strongly flattened leaf spines, staminodial ring, and purple-black fruits. Synonymy was established by Wessels Boer (1965). The type has not been located at Paris, but the original description and more recent collections from Bolivia leave no doubt as to the application of the name. Bactris maraja, the name applied to this species by Wessels Boer (1965, 1988) and others, applies to another species (Henderson, 1995). Evandro Ferreira (pers, comm.) reports a hybrid between B. brongniartii and B. major in Acre, Brazil.

    Distribution and Ecology: Throughout the Amazon region and adjacent areas in Colombia (Antioquia, Bolivar, Caqueta, Choco, Guaviare, Meta, Santander), Venezuela (Amazonas, Anzoategui, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro), the Guianas, Peru (Loreto, Ucayali), Brazil (Acre, Amazonas, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima), and Bolivia (Beni, La Paz, Santa Cruz) (Fig. 13B); almost always on river margins or in seasonally inundated areas, at 10-350 m elevation.

  • Common Names

    marayaú, marajá, marajá de cacho, marajá pupunha, maraja'i, maraja’y, maria-ci, maria-wa, tucum bravo, cachepai montañero, cubarra, maradai, bango palm, ñejilla, caña negra, cubarro, komora

  • Objects

    Specimen - 381139, I. G. Vargas Caballero 1860, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Bolivia, Santa Cruz, Guarayos Prov.

    Specimen - 01170330, A. J. Henderson 2022, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Peru

    Specimen - 00755432, A. J. Henderson 1671, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Acre, Porto Walter Mun.

    Specimen - 01137713, A. J. Henderson 175, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Amazonas, Careiro Mun.

    Specimen - 01137712, A. J. Henderson 815, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Amazonas, Benjamin Constant Mun.

    Specimen - 01137714, A. J. Henderson 1544, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Amazonas, Maraã Mun.

    Specimen - 01137715, R. Pardini 33, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Amazonas

    Specimen - 01137710, G. T. Prance 16740, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Amazonas

    Specimen - 00196004, W. L. Balée 824, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Maranhão, Monçao Mun.

    Specimen - 00194649, W. L. Balée 3385, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Maranhão, Monçao Mun.

    Specimen - 00878152, L. R. Noblick 4968, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Maranhão, Viana Mun.

    Specimen - 00196003, W. L. Balée 1955, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Pará, Altamira Mun.

    Specimen - 01137717, H. T. Beck 297, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Pará

    Specimen - 01137844, W. A. Egler 45951, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Amapá

    Specimen - 01137711, J. J. Strudwick 5008, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Pará

    Specimen - 01137709, M. H. Nee 34457, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Rondônia, Costa Marques Mun.

    Specimen - 01137716, A. O. Scariot 242, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Rondônia, Guajará-Mirim Mun.

    Specimen - 01137708, A. J. Henderson 606, Bactris brongniartii Mart., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Roraima, Alto Alegre Mun.

  • Distribution

    Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Bolívar Colombia South America| Caquetá Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Guaviare Colombia South America| Meta Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Anzoátegui Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Ucayali Peru South America| Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America| Bolivia South America| Beni Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America|