Prestoea pubigera (Griseb. & H.Wendl.) Hook.f., Rep. Progr. Condition Roy. Bot. Gard. Kew 1882: 56 (1884)

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Trinidad-Tobago present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Venezuela present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Northern Range of Trinidad and the Peninsula de Paria of Sucre, Venezuela; ridges and steep slopes in cloud forest at 700-1300 m. (Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72)A

Discussion

  • Specimens from Venezuela are generally larger than those from Trinidad and have leaves that are more tomentose, with more ramenta and more punctations. They are usually also from higher elevations. (Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72)A

Common Name

  • Trinidad: amari; Venezuela: palmillo. (Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72)A

Uses

  • The leaves are used for thatching (Trinidad). (Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72)A

Description

  • Stems solitary, erect or leaning, 3-4(-8) m tall, 3-3.5 cm diam.
    Leaves 8-9, spreading; sheath open and forming a partial crownshaft, 27-50 cm long including in a short ligule, yellowish green; petiole 20-73 cm long, petiole and rachis densely covered, especially abaxially, with woolly, brown tomentum, glabrescent; rachis 45-80 cm long; pinnae 5-7 per side, regularly spaced and spreading in the same plane, the basal ones linear, aristate, the apical ones completely or irregularly non-splitting, or the blade simple, deeply bifid at the apex, punctations present abaxially, with very prominent veins, especially adaxially, ramenta usually present on abaxial surface on midvein; basal pinnae 45-47 x 1-2 cm.
    Inflorescences corymbose, infrafoliar, becoming horizontal at anthesis; peduncle 8-22 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm diam. at peduncular bract scar, dorsiventrally compressed, swollen at point of peduncle insertion, the peduncle and rachis densely covered with woolly, reddish brown tomentum, glabrescent; prophyll 10-15 cm long, 2-4 cm diam.; peduncular bract 20-85 cm long including a 1-2 cm long umbo, 1-7 cm diam., inserted approximately halfway up the peduncle, densely covered abaxially with appressed brown scales; rachis 8-30 cm long; rachillae 17-60, 12-37 cm long distally, to 8 cm long proximally, 1-3 mm diam. at anthesis, arranged all the way round rachis, swollen at the base, sparsely covered with 0.2 mm long, flexuous, mostly simple, deciduous brown or black hairs; flowers in triads proximally, paired or staminate distally, cream-colored; triad bracteole rounded; first flower bracteole small, rounded, second and third flower bracteoles ± equal, rounded, scarcely apiculate, 0.4 mm long; staminate flowers 3.5-4 mm long, sessile; sepals shallowly triangular, ± connate basally and only briefly imbricate, 1- 1.5 mm long, gibbous, not ciliate; petals obovate, 3- 3.5 mm long; stamens arranged round a very short receptacle; filaments 1.5 mm long, lanceolate, flattened; anthers 1.5 mm long; pistillode 2-2.5 mm long, briefly trifid at the apex, longer than the stamens; pistillate flowers 2 mm long; sepals very widely ovate, 1.5 mm long, fleshy, not or minutely ciliate; petals very widely ovate, 1.5-2 mm long; staminodes digitate; stigmas reflexed at anthesis.
    Fruits globose, 0.8-1.2 cm diam., the stigmatic remains subapical to lateral; epicarp black, minutely and sparsely tuberculate; seeds globose; endosperm ruminate; eophyll bifid. (Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72)A

Materials Examined

  • TRINIDAD. Mount Tocuche. 3-5 Apr 1920, Britton et al. 1234 (K, NY, TRIN); Heights of Aripo, 16 Mar 1921, Britton & Freeman 2361 (BH, NY); 16 Mar 1921, Britton 9733 (TRIN); 10-26 Jan 1922, Broadway 9853 (BH, K, NY, TRIN); 2 May 1946, Millar 3 (BH); Blanchisseuse Rd., Hambersley's Trace, off 10 mi post, 19 Feb 1926, Broadway 5964 (K, MO); 30 Apr 1926, Broadway 6190 (K); 23 Mar 1928, Broadway 6854 (MO); Textel Cut Line nr. Morne Bleu, 20 Jan 1981, Cock et al. 95 (TRIN); Northern Range, Blanchisseuse Rd., nr. Textel Sta., 600 m, 18 Aug 1991 , Henderson & Coelho 1623 (NY, TRIN); Tocuehe, 21 Jun 1907, Leeslie s.n. (TRIN); Grand Acupa Mountain, ca. 800 m, 19 Aug 1963, Wessels Boer 1634 (NY).
    VENEZUELA. SUCRE: Peninsula de Paria, Dist. Marino. between Manaea and Los Poeitos de Santa Isabel, 25 km NW of Irapa, W of Cerro Humo, 10°40'N, 62°38'W, 700-900 m, 9-10 Jul 1972, Dumonl et al. VE-7506 (NY); Peninsula de Paria, Cerro Patao, N of Puerto de Hierro, NE of Güiria, 1020 m, 19 Jul 1962, Steyermark & Agostini 91068 (BH, NY); Peninsula de Paria, Cerro de Humo, NE of Irapa, 1060-1273 m, 1 Mar 1966, Steyermark 94803 (BH); 2 Mar 1966, J. Steyermark 94894 (BH); 3 Mar 1966, Steyermark 94953 (BH, NY); Peninsula de Paria, Cerro Espejo between Manaeal and Pauki, 750-8850 m, 6 Aug 1966, Steyermark & Rabe 96087 (BH); Peninsula de Paria, Cerro de Río Arriba, nr. Los Positos, W of Cerro de Humo, 700 m, 11 Aug 1966, Steyermark & Robe 96356 (BH); 10-12 Aug 1966, Steyermark & Robe 96390 (BH, NY); Peninsula de Paria, headwaters of Rio Cumami, SW of Cerro Humo, nr. Manacal, 15 km NW of Irapa, 10°41'N, 62°39'W, 29 Nov 1979, Steyermnrk & Liesner 120631 (MO); 29 Nov 1979 Steyermark & Liesner 120676 (NY); Dist. Mariño and Dist. Arismendi, Peninsula de Paria, trail between Río Tacarigua and slopes E of Cerro Humo, descending to Las Melenas, 10°41-42'N, 62°36-37'W, 760-1000 m, 24 Feb 1980, Steyermark et al. 121744 (MO, NY). (Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72)A

Bibliography

    A. Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae