Bactris horridispatha Noblick ex A.J.Hend., Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 79: 98 (2000)

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Distribution

Brazil (Bahia). Restinga forest or lowland rain forest on non-flooded forest, at 20-100 m elevation. (Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000)A

Discussion

  • Bactris horridispatha is diagnosed by its to 7 cm long, yellowish brown leaf spines, regularly arranged pinnae, and 1-5, thick, short rachillae. It is named for the dense covering of leaf spines. (Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000)A

Common Name

  • Brazil: baralhá, marajá, tucum, tucum amarelo. (Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000)A

Description

  • Stems cespitose, 1-6 m tall, 1.5-3 cm diam., spiny on internodes.
    Leaves 3-8; leaf spines scattered or clustered, yellowish brown or dark brown, darker at base and apex, tomentose, somewhat flattened, to 7 cm long, dense on sheath and lateral surfaces of petiole, fewer on abaxial surface of rachis; sheath 25-30 cm long, sheath, petiole, and rachis brown-tomentose; ocrea to 10 cm long; petiole 12-70 cm long; rachis 0.6-1.5 m long; pinnae 15-26, regularly arranged, spreading in the same plane, lanceolate; middle pinnae 29-66 x 3-8 cm.
    Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle 11-27 cm long, slightly curved, not spiny; prophyll 10-16 cm long; peduncular bract 23-46 cm long, densely covered with black, brown or yellow, flattened, appressed spines to 3 cm long; rachis 6-14 cm long; rachillae 1-5,5-11 cm long, 2-5 mm diam.; triads irregularly arranged among paired or solitary staminate flowers; staminate flowers not seen; pistillate flowers 5-10 mm long; calyx tubular, 1-5 mm long; corolla tubular, 4-10 mm long; staminodes minute or absent; fruits 2.3-2.5 cm diam., ellipsoid, purple-black, with brown scales; mesocarp juicy; endocarp obovoid, the sterile pores displaced longitudinally; endocarp fibers numerous, with juice sacs attached; fruiting perianth with regularly lobed, 0.5 cm long calyx and regularly lobed, 1 cm long corolla, without staminodial ring. (Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000)A

Bibliography

    A. Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000