Bactris timbuiensis H.Q.B.Fern., Bol. Mus. Biol. Prof. Mello-Leitão. Sér. Bot. 5: 4 (1996)

Primary tabs

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Brazil Southeast present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)A
Atlantic coastal forest of Brazil (Espírito Santo), known only from a small area of rain forest on slopes, 600-900 m elevation.

Discussion

  • Bactris timbuiensis is diagnosed by its regularly arranged, linear pinnae, triads more or less regularly arranged (but often with solitary staminate flowers interspersed) on the proximal ca. half or more of the rachillae (and there tending to be absent from adaxial side of rachillae), and non-spinulose, orange fruits. It appears to be a member of the Piranga clade (Sanders, 1991). It shares with other members of that clade, Bactris glandulosa from Central America and B. tefensis from the central Amazon region of Brazil, non-spinulose fruits.

Description

  • Stems cespitose, to 4.5 m tall, 2.5-3.7 cm diam., spiny. Leaves 3-5; leaf spines black or dark brown, terete, to 8 cm long, dense on sheath and lateral surfaces of petiole, fewer on rachis; sheath to 30 cm long; ocrea not seen; petiole 32-83 cm long, petiole and rachis brown-tomentose; rachis 0.8-1.6 m long; pinnae 33-46 per side, regularly arranged, spreading in one plane, linear to slightly sigmoid; middle pinnae 35-60 x 1.6-2.3 cm. Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle to 9 cm long, recurved, flattened, spinulose; prophyll 7.5-12 cm long; peduncular bract 18-27 cm long, densely covered with black or brown spines to 1.8 cm long; rachis 1.8-3.2 cm long, densely spinulose; rachillae 32-40, filamentous, crowded on rachis, 3.3-5 cm long, at anthesis tomentose; triads more or less regularly arranged (but often with solitary staminate flowers interspersed) on proximal ca. half or more of rachillae, and there tending to be absent from adaxial side of rachillae (paired or solitary staminate flowers only on distal ca. half of rachillae); staminate flowers 3.5-4.5 mm long; sepal lobes 1.2-1.8 mm long; petals 3.8-4 mm long; stamens 6; pistillode small or absent; pistillate flowers 3.8-4.8 mm long; calyx cupular, 0.9-1.2 mm long; corolla tubular, 2.4-3.3 mm long, covered with flexuous, brown spinules; staminodes 6, small; fruits 1.3-1.5 cm diam., obovoid, orange-red, glabrous; mesocarp starchy; endocarp obovoid, the sterile pores slightly displaced longitudinally; endocarp fibers few; fruiting perianth with small, 0.5 mm long calyx, and irregularly lobed, 3 mm long corolla, without staminodial ring.

Bibliography

    A. World Checklist of Arecaceae