Mauritia L.f., Suppl. Pl. : 70 (1782)

Content

Number of Taxa

2 species

Distribution

Map accurate to TDWG level 3 distributions

Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela (World Checklist of Monocotyledons)
Two species distributed in wetter parts of Trinidad, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana and Brazil. (J. Dransfield, N. Uhl, C. Asmussen, W.J. Baker, M. Harley and C. Lewis. 2008)

Discussion

Mauritia and Mauritiella have been combined (Balick 1981) but there are consistent differences in flower clusters and habits. In Mauritiella, pistillate flowers are borne on short branches and staminate flowers are solitary, whereas in Mauritia, pistillate flowers are borne singly or on very short branches and staminate flowers are in pairs. Species of Mauritia are solitary with unarmed stems, and species of Mauritiella clustering with spiny stems. (J. Dransfield, N. Uhl, C. Asmussen, W.J. Baker, M. Harley and C. Lewis. 2008)

Biology And Ecology

Occurring often in vast natural stands in periodically inundated areas in the lowlands. (J. Dransfield, N. Uhl, C. Asmussen, W.J. Baker, M. Harley and C. Lewis. 2008)

Common Name

Mauritia palms, moriche palms, buriti. (J. Dransfield, N. Uhl, C. Asmussen, W.J. Baker, M. Harley and C. Lewis. 2008)

Etymology

Commemorating Count Johan Mauritz van Nassau-Siegen (1604–1679), once governor of the Netherlands West India Company in Brazil. (J. Dransfield, N. Uhl, C. Asmussen, W.J. Baker, M. Harley and C. Lewis. 2008)

Diagnosis

Massive stately solitary palms of South America, with robust erect stems and huge palmate leaves with segments of equal width; inflorescences are robust and the staminate rachillae catkin-like, each rachilla bract subtending a pair of staminate flowers. (J. Dransfield, N. Uhl, C. Asmussen, W.J. Baker, M. Harley and C. Lewis. 2008)

Description

Massive, solitary, unarmed, pleonanthic, dioecious, tree palms. Stem erect, partly obscured by marcescent leaf sheaths above, becoming bare basally, cortex hard, pith soft. Leaves large, reduplicate, briefly costapalmate; sheath tubular at first, splitting opposite the petiole, the margins sometimes bearing coarse fibres; petiole conspicuous, adaxially channelled near the base, otherwise circular in cross-section, smooth, unarmed; blade bearing a low crest adaxially at the base, abaxially with a low ridge; blade orbicular, divided along abaxial folds almost to the insertion into numerous crowded single-fold segments, very shortly bifid at their tips, midribs prominent, transverse veinlets not conspicuous. Inflorescences solitary, interfoliar, the staminate and pistillate superficially similar; prophyll short, tubular, 2-keeled, with 2 short triangular lobes, striate; peduncle shorter than the rachis, elliptical in cross-section, bearing numerous overlapping distichous, tubular, striate, peduncular bracts, each with a short, triangular, dorsal limb and a shallow point on opposite side; rachis bracts numerous, completely sheathing the branches, distichous, as the peduncular, each subtending a ± pendulous or spreading first-order branch; the first-order branch bearing a short, 2-keeled, striate, tubular prophyll, and 1–few empty distichous bracts, subsequent bracts tubular, flaring, short, each subtending a very short or moderate, straight or recurved rachilla; staminate rachilla catkin-like, bearing a basal, tubular, 2-keeled prophyll and crowded, spirally inserted bracts, each subtending a pair of staminate flowers, each flower bearing a basal 2-keeled bracteole; pistillate rachilla very short, not catkin-like, bearing a basal, tubular, 2-keeled prophyll, and subdistichous, ± explanate bracts, each subtending a solitary pistillate flower with a flattened, 2-keeled bracteole, and often also bearing a minute spathulate, second bracteole, with 2 minute flanges on its abaxial surface. Staminate flowers with calyx tubular, shortly 3-lobed, often densely scaly; petals 3, elongate, much exceeding the calyx, valvate, coriaceous, joined briefly at the base; stamens 6, the filaments ± free, thick, ± angled, elongate, anthers elongate, basifixed, latrorse; pistillode minute. Pollen spheroidal, symmetric; aperture either a large distal pore or a short sulcus; ectexine intectate, very finely clavate, interspersed with bottle-shaped spines set in, and loosely connected to, cavities in a wide foot layer bulging strongly inwards beneath each spine, the inner face of the foot layer finely lamellate, aperture margins similar; longest axis 54–65 µm [1/2]. Pistillate flowers larger than the staminate; calyx tubular, striate, shortly 3-lobed, often densely scaly; corolla tubular in the basal 1/3 – 1/2, with 3 valvate, elongate lobes distally; staminodes 6, connate laterally by their flattened broad filaments and adnate to the corolla at the mouth of the tube; gynoecium trilocular, triovulate, ± rounded, covered in vertical rows of reflexed scales, style short, conical, stigmas 3, ovules anatropous, basally attached. Fruit ± rounded, very large, usually 1-seeded, with apical stigmatic remains; epicarp covered in many neat vertical rows of reddish-brown, reflexed scales, mesocarp rather thick, fleshy, endocarp not differentiated. Seed rounded, attached near the base, apically with a blunt beak, testa thin, endosperm homogeneous; embryo basal. Germination adjacent-ligular; eophyll with a pair of divergent leaflets (?always). Cytology: 2n = 30. (J. Dransfield, N. Uhl, C. Asmussen, W.J. Baker, M. Harley and C. Lewis. 2008)

Anatomy

Leaf, petiole, stem (Tomlinson 1961), root (Seubert 1996a), stegmata (Killmann and Hong 1989). (J. Dransfield, N. Uhl, C. Asmussen, W.J. Baker, M. Harley and C. Lewis. 2008)

Relationships

The monophyly of Mauritia has not been tested. For relationships, see Lepidocaryum. (J. Dransfield, N. Uhl, C. Asmussen, W.J. Baker, M. Harley and C. Lewis. 2008)

Taxonomic accounts

Henderson (1995), Henderson et al. (1995). (J. Dransfield, N. Uhl, C. Asmussen, W.J. Baker, M. Harley and C. Lewis. 2008)

Fossil record

Large (49–68 µm long axis) monosulcate finely clavate pollen grains with distinctive inset spines, subtended by a swelling of the foot layer — Mauritiidites (nov. gen. van Hoeken-Klinkenberg 1964, syn. Monocolpites franciscoi van der Hammen 1956) — are recorded in the Upper Cretaceous to Lower Tertiary of West Africa: Nigeria (Hoeken-Klinkenberg 1964; Jan Du Chêne 1978). Also in Babajide Salami (1985) where, although the pollen grain is smaller, the spines are not clearly inset, possibly Lepidocaryum but aperture type not described. Mauritiidites is also described from the Upper Cretaceous of Somalia (Schrank 1994). However, the record from the Zinguinchor borehole (Middle Eocene to Lower Miocene) in Senegal (Médus 1975) shows a narrow columellate infratectum that is not present in Mauritia (intectate) and, furthermore, the spines are not characteristic for Mauritia. In Saudi Arabia, Srivastava and Binda (1991) describe pollen that closely resembles Mauritia from the Lower Eocene Shumaysi Formation. In a survey of subsurface Miocene sediments from the east coast of southern India, Ramanujam et al. (1986) include spiny pollen bearing some resemblance to Mauritiidites but it is not conclusive. In northwestern South America, there are a number of Palaeocene and Eocene records for Mauritiidites, especially from Colombia (Sole de Porta 1961; van der Hammen and Garcia de Mutis 1966 — in this paper, the larger grain(s) are rather more convincing than the smaller ones; González-Guzmán 1967 — pollen not described but illustration shows an asymmetric, thick-walled grain very reminiscent of Attalea in all respects excepting the presence of sparse spinulae; Schuler and Doubinger 1970; Jaramillo and Dilcher 2001 — an excellent record, the sunken spines with underlying bulges in the foot layer clearly visible). There is also a convincing record from Venezuela (Lorente 1986). A Pleistocene core from Central Brazil, representing 28,000 years, traces the demise and re-appearance of a Mauritia palm swamp (Ferraz-Vicentini and Salgado-Labouriau 1996). Rull (1998) provides an overview of biogeographical and evolutionary considerations for Mauritia that is based on the pollen evidence. (J. Dransfield, N. Uhl, C. Asmussen, W.J. Baker, M. Harley and C. Lewis. 2008)

Uses

The buriti palms are immensely useful. They may be a source of oil and starch, wine, timber, cork, fibre for weaving and tying, and palm hearts. (J. Dransfield, N. Uhl, C. Asmussen, W.J. Baker, M. Harley and C. Lewis. 2008)

Uses

Mauritia L.f.: Crop in garden of household. (Salick, J. 1989)
Use Category Use Sub Category Plant Part Human Group Ethnic Group Country
Environmental Agroforestry Entire plant Indigenous Yanesha Peru

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Environmental	Agroforestry	Entire plant	Indigenous	Yanesha	Peru

Mauritia L.f.: Fruits are boiied in water until soft and the pulp surrounding theseed is eaten. The fruits also are used to prepare a beverage. After thefruits have been soaked in water until soft, the seed is removed anddiscarded. The pulp is mashed by hand and p (Glenboski, L.L. 1983)

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Cultural	Ritual	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Tikuna	Colombia
Construction	Thatch	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Tikuna	Colombia
Human Food	Beverages	Fruits	Indigenous	Tikuna	Colombia
Cultural	Ritual	Stem	Indigenous	Tikuna	Colombia
Human Food	Food	Fruits	Indigenous	Tikuna	Colombia

Mauritia L.f.: Frutos ovoides de pericarpio "escamoso", dispuestos en racimos, comestibles en refresco o luego de "madurarlos" en agua tibia. Las hojas se utilizan en el techado de viviendas; la madera sirve para sacer tablas de mesones. (...). Con las hojas se techan viv (Garzón, N.C. 1985)

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Human Food	Beverages	Fruits	Indigenous	Guayabero	Colombia
Utensils and Tools	Domestic	Stem	Indigenous	Guayabero	Colombia
Human Food	Food	Fruits	Indigenous	Guayabero	Colombia
Construction	Houses	Stem	Indigenous	Guayabero	Colombia
Construction	Thatch	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Guayabero	Colombia

Mauritia L.f.: The dead trunks of all palm trees, including Ireartea, Euterpe, Mauritia, andJessenia, all attract palm weevils. (Alexiades, M.N. 1999)
Use Category Use Sub Category Plant Part Human Group Ethnic Group Country
Other N/A Stem Indigenous Ese Ejja Bolivia
Other N/A Stem Indigenous Ese Ejja Peru

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Other	N/A	Stem	Indigenous	Ese Ejja	Bolivia
Other	N/A	Stem	Indigenous	Ese Ejja	Peru

Mauritia L.f.: The leaves are employed to make thatch for the houses. The leavesare folded over laths of pona lisa wood (Iriartea sp.) and tied into placewith tammische (Asplundia sp.). (Glenboski, L.L. 1983)

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Human Food	Beverages	Fruits	Indigenous	Tikuna	Colombia
Construction	Thatch	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Tikuna	Colombia
Human Food	Food	Fruits	Indigenous	Tikuna	Colombia
Cultural	Ritual	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Tikuna	Colombia
Cultural	Ritual	Stem	Indigenous	Tikuna	Colombia

Bibliography

Alexiades, M.N., Ethnobotany of the Ese Ejja: plants, health, and change in an amazonian society. 1999. 1999. Ethnobotany of the Ese Ejja: plants, health, and change in an amazonian society.
Dransfield, J. , Uhl, N. , Asmussen, C. , Baker, W.J. , Harley, M. & Lewis, C. 2008. Genera Palmarum. The evolution and classification of palms. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.
Garzón, N.C., Aproximación etnobotánica en la comunidad Guayabero de Barrancion-Guaviare. 1985. 1985. Aproximación etnobotánica en la comunidad Guayabero de Barrancion-Guaviare.
Glenboski, L.L., The Ethnobotany Of The Tukuna Indians. 1983. 1983. The Ethnobotany Of The Tukuna Indians.
Salick, J., Ecological basis of Amuesha agriculture, Peruvian upper Amazon. 1989. 1989. Ecological basis of Amuesha agriculture, Peruvian upper Amazon.
World Checklist of Arecaceae

Main menu

Classification

Search taxa

Palm Resources

Search other databases

Images

Specimens/Occurrences

Literature

Molecular Resources

Conservation

Classification

General

For your info