Bactris hondurensis Standl.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Arecaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Bactris hondurensis Standl.

  • Type

    Type. Honduras. Atlantida: Lancetilla Valley, near Tela, 150 m, 6 Dec 1927-20 Mar 1928, P. Standley 56798 (holotype, F; isotype, US).

  • Synonyms

    Bactris pubescens Burret, Bactris wendlandiana Burret, Bactris standleyana Burret, Bactris paula L.H.Bailey, Yuyba paula (L.H.Bailey) L.H.Bailey

  • Description

    Species Description - Stems solitary or sometimes cespitose, 1-2.5(-4) m tall, 0.5-1.5 cm diam. Leaves 5-9; leaf spines scattered, terete, dark brown or yellowish brown and then darker at the base and apex, to 6 cm long, on sheath, petiole, and rachis, sometimes absent; sheath 9-25 cm long; ocrea to 2 cm long; petiole 16-27 cm long; rachis 15-50 cm long; blade usually simple, bifid, often with a pair of broad (rarely narrow) apical pinnae and 1-8(-15) per side, narrower, irregularly spaced, sigmoid proximal pinnae, occasionally with crossveins, usually minutely, densely, and softly white-pubescent abaxially; blade 36-71 cm long, 26-39 cm wide at apex of rachis. Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle 7-11 cm long, straight, spiny; prophyll 8-9 cm long; peduncular bract 13-18 cm long, densely to moderately covered with soft, spreading, yellowish, black or brown spines to 1 cm long; rachis 1-3 cm long; rachillae 3-7, 2-5 cm long, slender, at anthesis densely covered with whitish, moniliform trichomes; triads irregularly arranged among paired or solitary staminate flowers; staminate flowers 3-7 mm long; sepal lobes 1-1.5 mm long; petals 3-4 mm long; stamens 6; pistillode absent; pistillate flowers 2-4 mm long; calyx cupular, ca. 1 mm long; corolla tubular, 2-4 mm long; staminodes minute or absent; fruits 1.2-1.5 cm diam., broadly obovoid, bluntly rostrate, orange or red; mesocarp mealy; endocarp turbinate, pitted apically, the sterile pores slightly displaced longitudinally; endocarp fibers few or absent; fruiting perianth with minute calyx and irregularly lobed corolla, without staminodial ring.

  • Discussion

    Bactris hondurensis is diagnosed by its terete, dark brown or yellowish brown leaf spines to 6 cm long, blade or pinnae minutely, densely and softly white-pubescent abaxially, straight peduncle, and peduncular bract that is densely to moderately covered with soft, spreading, yellowish, black or brown spines to 1 cm long. Synonymy was established by de Nevers et al. (1996). This species is a member of a group of similar species confined to Central America and the Pacific coast of Colombia and Ecuador, characterized by their obovoid, orange or red fruits. Some specimens from Colombia (De Leon 122, Moore 9474) have densely brown-tomentose petioles and rachis, and larger, simple leaves.

    Distribution and Ecology: Honduras (Atlántida, Colón, Gracias a Dios), Nicaragua (Chontales, Jinotega, Río San Juan, Zelaya), Costa Rica (Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limón, Puntarenas, San José), Panama (Bocas del Toro, Coclé, Colón, Darién, Panamá, San Blas, Veraguas), western Colombia (Antioquia, Chocó, Valle del Cauca), and western Ecuador (Esmeraldas) (Fig. 37B); lowland rain forest, at 0-1000 m elevation.

  • Common Names

    biscoyol, caña brava, huiscoyol, pacaya de danto, sih, Coyolillo, huiscoyol, pacaya de danto

  • Distribution

    Honduras Central America| Atlántida Honduras Central America| Colón Honduras Central America| Gracias a Dios Honduras Central America| Nicaragua Central America| Chontales Nicaragua Central America| Jinotega Nicaragua Central America| Río San Juan Nicaragua Central America| Zelaya Nicaragua Central America| Alajuela Costa Rica Central America| Cartago Costa Rica Central America| Guanacaste Costa Rica Central America| Heredia Costa Rica Central America| Limón Costa Rica Central America| Puntarenas Costa Rica Central America| San José Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Bocas del Toro Panamá 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| Valle del Cauca Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Esmeraldas Ecuador South America|