Bactris constanciae Barb.Rodr.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Arecaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Bactris constanciae Barb.Rodr.

  • Type

    Type. Barbosa Rodrigues, Sert. palm, brasil. 2: t. 40. 1903 (lectotype, designated by Wessels Boer, 1965).

  • Description

    Species Description - Stems cespitose, 1.5-5 m tall, 2.5-5 cm diam., spiny on internodes. Leaves 5-8; leaf spines scattered, black, somewhat flattened, spinulose proximally, to 7 cm long, on lateral surfaces of sheath and proximal part of petiole, absent from rachis; sheath 20-70 cm long, sheath, petiole, and rachis brown-tomentose; ocrea 10-20 cm long; petiole elongate, 0.8-1.4 m long; rachis 1-3.3 m long; pinnae 14-22 per side, irregularly arranged in distant clusters of 2-8, spreading in different planes, oblanceolate to sigmoid, long-acuminate, with spiny margins; middle pinnae 33-40 × 3-7 cm. Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle 22-25 cm long, recurved, spiny or not spiny; prophyll 10-22 cm long; peduncular bract 30-45 cm long, with few black spines to 1 cm long; rachis 5-6 cm long; rachillae 12-20, to 12 cm long, densely covered at anthesis with moniliform trichomes; triads irregularly arranged among paired or solitary staminate flowers; staminate flowers to 4 mm long; sepal lobes to 1 mm long; petals to 4 mm long; stamens 6; pistillode absent; pistillate flowers to 5 mm long; calyx tubular, to 4 mm long; corolla tubular, to 5 mm long; staminodes absent; fruits 1.5-2.5 cm diam., globose, densely muricate with projections to 3 mm long, rosy, dark red, or magenta-purple; mesocarp juicy; endocarp depressed-oblong, the sterile pores displaced longitudinally; endocarp fibers free, numerous, with juice sacs attached; fruiting perianth with deeply 3-lobed calyx almost as long as the deeply 3-lobed corolla, without staminodial ring.

  • Discussion

    Bactris constanciae is diagnosed by its densely muricate (with projections to 3 mm long), rosy, dark red, or magenta-purple fruits.

  • Common Names

    munbaca

  • Objects

    Specimen - 02385073, J.-J. de Granville 10354, Bactris constanciae Barb.Rodr., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, French Guiana

    Specimen - 01137743, A. J. Henderson 1062, Bactris constanciae Barb.Rodr., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Amazonas

    Specimen - 01137744, S. A. Mori 19603, Bactris constanciae Barb.Rodr., Arecaceae (36.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Amazonas

  • Distribution

    Eastern Amazon region in Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil (Amazonas, Para) (Fig. 21 A); lowland rain forest on terra firme, at 200-500 m elevation. Throughout its range, this species is not common, and individual plants are found scattered in the forest.

    French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|