Bactris cuspidata Mart.
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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. Brazil. Amazonas: Rio Japurá, s.d., C. Martius s.n. (holotype, M; F neg. 18611).
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Synonyms
Bactris floccosa Spruce, Bactris marajay Barb.Rodr., Bactris cuspidata var. coriacea Trail, Bactris cuspidata var. angustipinnata Trail, Amylocarpus cuspidatus (Mart.) Barb.Rodr., Amylocarpus floccosus (Spruce) Barb.Rodr., Bactris cuspidata var. marajay (Barb.Rodr.) Drude, Amylocarpus marajay (Mart.) Barb.Rodr.
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Description
Species Description - Stems cespitose, 1-1.5 m tall, 6-8 mm diam. Leaves 4-5; leaf spines scattered, black, somewhat flattened, to 2 cm long, moderate to dense on sheath and petiole, usually absent from rachis; sheath 13-17 cm long, sheath, petiole, and rachis whitish or brownish tomentose; ocrea to 2 cm long; petiole 35-40 cm long; rachis 30-46 cm long; pinnae 6-13 per side, irregularly arranged in distant clusters, linear-lanceolate to sigmoid or ellipsoid, cuspidate, glabrous or sparsely pilose abaxially to densely pilose on both surfaces; 14-25 × 2-5 cm. Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle 4-6 cm long, strongly recurved, spiny; prophyll to 8 cm long; peduncular bract 9-12 cm long, densely covered with easily removed, black, soft, straight spines to 1 cm long; rachis absent; rachillae 2-8, 2.5-3.5 cm long, at anthesis densely covered with short, flexuous, whitish trichomes intermixed with fewer, longer, brown spinules; triads regularly arranged but with a few paired staminate flowers intermixed; staminate flowers to 3 mm long; sepal lobes to 0.5 mm long; petals to 3 mm long; stamens 5; pistillode absent; pistillate flowers 2-3.5 mm long; calyx annular, 0.2-1 mm long; corolla tubular, 2-3.5 mm long, densely spinulose; staminodes absent; fruits 6-7 mm diam., globose to obovoid, rostrate, orange-red; mesocarp starchy; endocarp turbinate, the pores equidistant; endocarp fibers few; fruiting calyx not seen.
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Discussion
Bactris cuspidata is diagnosed by its 1-1.5 m tall,
6-8 mm diameter stem, pistillate flowers with the calyx 0.2-1 mm long and densely spinulose corolla 2-3.5 mm long, and orange-red fruits 6-7 mm in diameter. Synonymy was established by Henderson (1995). Bactris floccosa, included here as a synonym, differs somewhat in its pistillate corolla, and may in fact be a distinct taxon. There are few collections attributable to this putative taxon, and these are scattered over a wide area (the type is reported from the Rio Japurá, outside the range of the other specimens). Thus, as understood here, B. cuspidata is rather heterogeneous. Populations from French Guiana have brown-tomentose petioles and pilose pinnae, whereas those from the Amazon valley have white-tomentose petioles and non-pilose pinnae. It has frequently been confused in the past with pinnate-leafed forms of B. simplicifrons. Many more collections are needed to better understand this species. -
Objects
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Distribution
Central Amazon region in Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil (Amazonas, Pará) (Fig. 23B); lowland rain forest on terra firme, at 250-780 m elevation.
Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America|