Aiphanes hirsuta subsp. hirsuta

  • Authority

    Borchsenius, Finn & Bernal-González, Rodrigo. 1996. Aiphanes (Palmae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 70: 1-94. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Arecaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Aiphanes hirsuta subsp. hirsuta

  • Synonyms

    Aiphanes monostachys Burret, Aiphanes pachyclada Burret, Aiphanes fuscopubens L.H.Bailey

  • Description

    Subspecies Description - Stems 2-8(-20), each 4-10 m tall. Leaves 4-8; sheath 20-45 cm long; petiole 9-35 cm long, densely armed with spinules and spines; rachis 86-135 cm long, unarmed or spiny; pinnae 9-26 per side, in groups of 2-5, spaced by 15-21 cm, in different planes, narrowly to broadly cuneate, 1-6 times as long as wide, nearly glabrous to densely covered with yellow spinules, truncate to lobulate-praemorse at apex, rarely slightly incised-praemorse; middle pinnae 11-45 x 5-16 cm. Peduncle 43-120 cm long, 2-9 mm diam. at apex, minutely spinulose or sparsely to densely covered with brown spines, to 3(-5) cm long; rachis 17-46 cm long, unarmed or spiny; rachillae 9-28, densely covered with brown to black spinules, 0.5-1.5 mm long; basal rachillae 23-40 cm long, basally without flowers for 0.5-2.5 cm, often strongly thickened in the androgynous part, with closely inserted triads. Staminate flowers 1.5-3.4 mm long; anthers rectangular to shortly linear, 0.5-0.7 x 0.4-0.5 mm. Pistillate flowers 4.5-7 mm long, often acuminate; pistil ca. 3 mm high, glabrous or with some minute spinules at base. Fruit red to purple, globose, ca. 7-11 mm diam., glabrous to minutely spinulose; endocarp globose, 6-9.5 mm diam., 0.5-1 mm thick, with numerous fine pits apically.

  • Discussion

    This subspecies is the most variable of the four. In Panama and the northern parts of Cordillera Central there is a strong tendency toward thickening of the rachillae, densely inserted triads, and pistillate flowers with conspicuously acuminate sepals and petals. In extreme cases inflorescences may approach those of A. gelatinosa in structure. On the western slopes of Cordillera Occidental these tendencies are less pronounced, and plants from the southern Choco (Forero 7224) form a transition to subsp, fosteriorum differing only in size. Pollen of A. hirsuta subsp, hirsuta appear to be rather uniform, with tectate, perforate to rugulate exine with supratectal warts or spines.

    The confusion regarding typification of A. monostachys, A. leiospatha, and A. macroloba has been elucidated by Bernal (1986). Aiphanes monostachys Burret was based on a mixed collection including the leaves of A. monostachys and the misplaced inflorescence of what Burret described as A. macroloba; thus the misleading name. The real inflorescence of A. monostachys was probably associated with the leaves of a Geonomoid palm {Kalbreyer 1607) and described by Burret as a separate species, A. leiospatha (see “Doubtfull names and Excluded taxa”).

  • Distribution

    Known from premontane forest in Panama at 600-1400 m, the eastern slopes of northern Cordillera Central in Colombia at 1600-1900 m, and western slopes of Cordillera Occidental at 100-1500 m.

    Panama Central America| Bocas del Toro Panamá Central America| Coclé Panamá Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America|