Desmoncus vacivus L.H.Bailey, Gentes Herb. 8: 186 (1949)

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Brazil North present (Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88)A
Colombia present (Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88)A
Peru present (Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88)A
From 1°20'-4°31'S and 69°56'-76°25'W in the western Amazon region in Colombia, Peru, and Brazil at 174(112-550) m elevation in lowland rainforest, often on sandy soils. (Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88)A

Discussion

  • Taxonomic notes:-This distinctive species, with its small leaves and large fruits, was referred to by Henderson (1995) as Desmoncus polyacanthos var. prunifer (Poeppig ex Martius) Henderson, based on D. prunifer Poeppig ex Martius. This is a mistake, as explained under D. prunifer. (Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88)A

Description

  • Plants 5.3(1.5-10.0) m tall; stems 0.7(0.4-0.9) cm diameter, clustered. Leaf petioles 4.8(1.5-11.5) cm long; rachises 31.1(22.5-46.5) cm long, 2.9(1.8-5.0) mm wide, the spines usually <1 cm long, mostly abaxial, recurved with markedly swollen bases; pinnae 5(3-7) per side of rachis, without long, filiform apices, without a beard of spines at the bases, with uneven surfaces at the bases adaxially, usually covered with spinules and/ or dense tomentum; basal pinna 13.1(7.0-17.7) cm long, 3.1(1.6-4.7) cm wide; cirri well-developed, with acanthophylls, with few spines abaxially, mostly on proximal part only, with no intermediate acanthophylls present, usually with a wide gap between pinnae and acanthophylls (i.e., gap wider than that between adjacent acanthophylls). Inflorescences with the rachis angular, slightly twisted, thicker than the few, closely spaced and spirally arranged rachillae, each rachilla not (or very rarely) adnate to the rachis, subtended by an acute bracteole and with a well-developed axillary pulvinus; peduncles 2.0(1.0-3.0) mm wide; peduncular bracts 18.8(16.0-24.5) cm long, broad, ribbed, densely brown tomentose, without spines (very rarely with a few spines); rachillae 5(4-9), glabrous or scarcely tomentose initially; basal rachilla 5.1(3.5-6.8) cm long, 1.5(1.0-2.3) mm wide; stamens 6; fruits 20.9(18.4-23.9) mm long, 13.3(11.1-15.3) mm wide, the surfaces uneven with numerous, subepidermal, long, branching fibers; fruiting corollas less than one quarter as long as fruits, splitting irregularly into 3 lobes, the lobes often splitting again; endocarps globose to obovoid with rounded or slightly peaked apices, the pores lateral (Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88)A

Bibliography

    A. Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88