Bactris coloradonis L.H.Bailey
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Authority
Henderson, A. 2000.
(Palmae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 79: 1-181. (Published by NYBG Press) -
Family
Arecaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Panama. Colon: Barro Colorado Island, 6 Jul 1931, L. & Z. Bailey 502 (lectotype, designated by de Nevers et al., 1996, BH).
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Synonyms
Bactris porschiana Burret
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Description
Species Description - Stems solitary or cespitose, 1.5-10 m tall, 3-8 cm diam., spiny on internodes. Leaves 2-6; leaf spines solitary or somewhat clustered, black, terete, to 9 cm long, on lateral surfaces of petiole, fewer on abaxial surface of rachis; sheath 43-60(-100) cm long, sheath, petiole, and rachis usually white-woolly-tomentose; ocrea to 10 cm long; rachis 0.9-2.1 m long; pinnae 17-38(-80) per side (or rarely the leaves simple), irregularly arranged in clusters, spreading in the same or in different planes, linear-lanceolate, aristate, glabrous, usually spiny on the margins, usually with obvious cross-veins; 21-86 × 3-7 cm. Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle 9.5-23 cm long, recurved, scarcely spiny; prophyll 9-23 cm long; peduncular bract 21-37 cm long, sparsely to densely covered with spreading, terete, black or brown spines to 1 cm long; rachis 3.5-9 cm long; rachillae 20-51, 14-29 cm long, at anthesis covered with long, brown trichomes; triads irregularly arranged among paired or solitary staminate flowers; staminate flowers 3-4 mm long; sepal lobes 1-2.5 mm long; petals 3-4 mm long; stamens 6; pistillode absent; pistillate flowers 2-3 mm long; calyx tubular, to 1 mm long; corolla tubular, 2-3 mm long; staminodes 6, minute; fruits 1.5(-2.5) × 1.4-1.7(-2) cm, broadly obovoid, briefly and bluntly rostrate, orange-red; mesocarp starchy; endocarp turbinate, pitted apically, the sterile endocarp pores slightly displaced longitudinally; endocarp fibers few; fruiting perianth with obscure calyx and truncate or slightly undulate-margined corolla, without staminodial ring.
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Discussion
Bactris coloradonis is diagnosed by its 14-29 cm long rachillae, and broadly obovoid, orange-red fruits 1.5(-2.5) × 1.4-1.7(-2) cm. Synonymy was established by de Nevers et al. (1996). There are several local forms. Panamanian specimens usually have prominent cross-veins and marginal spinules on the pinnae; those from Costa Rica usually have neither (and have been called B. porschiana). This variation, however, is not consistent, and flowers and fruits from both countries are identical. One specimen from Costa Rica (Costa Rica. Heredia: Finca El Bejuco, Chilamate, 6 km W of Puerto Viejo, 14 Dec 1984, Henderson 63 (NY)) is unusual and is not included in the above description or list of specimens examined. It is large and superficially resembles B. coloradonis, but has the fruiting calyx and corolla like those of B. major. Gomez et al 20453, from extreme southeastern Costa Rica, agrees well with B. coloradonis, but has unusually large fruits (2.5 × 2 cm diameter). Specimens from Colombia and Ecuador, and one from Panama (Mabberley & Sugden 1852), have a densely white-tomentose petiole and rachis, wider pinnae (like those of the related B. caudata), and densely hairy rachillae. One sterile specimen, with a simple leaf, may also belong here (Colombia. Choco: 3 km S of Quibdo, 9 Jan 1979, Gentry & Renteria 23865 (MO)).
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Common Names
chacara, corocillo, corozo, meme, coyolito, arar, sin
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Distribution
Costa Rica (Heredia, Limón), Panama (Coclé, Colón, Darién, Panamá, San Blas, Veraguas), western Colombia (Antioquia, Chocó, Nariño, Valle del Cauca), and western Ecuador (Guayas) (Fig. 20A); lowland or premontane rain forest, at 10-1000 m elevation.
Costa Rica South America| Heredia Costa Rica Central America| Limón Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Coclé Panamá Central America| Colón Panama Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| San Blás Panama Central America| Veraguas Panama Central America| Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America| Valle del Cauca Colombia South America| Ecuador South America|