Bactris longiseta H.Wendl. ex Burret, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 34: 213 (1934)

Primary tabs

no image available

Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Costa Rica present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Costa Rica (Alajuela, Heredia, Limón).
Lowland rain forest, at 100-750 m elevation. (Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000)A

Discussion

  • Bactris longiseta is diagnosed by its linear to elliptic, caudate pinnae, obovoid, purple fruits, and numerous endocarp fibers with juice sacs attached. It is a somewhat problematic species. The only specimen examined with fruits, Holdridge 5118, has purple fruits and endocarp fibers with juice sacs attached. Otherwise, the species is close to B. caudata. I have retained it in this monograph following de Nevers et al. (1996). I suspect, however, that it is a member of the Central American orange-fruited group but more collections are needed to solve this problem. (Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000)A

Common Name

  • Costa Rica: huiscoyol. (Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000)A

Description

  • Stems cespitose, forming dense to loose clumps, 3-4.5 m tall, 2-2.5 cm diam., spiny on internodes.
    Leaves 6-7; leaf spines black, terete, to 2(-6.5) cm long, dense or sparse on sheath, mostly absent or occasionally scattered on petiole and rachis; sheath 30-41 cm long; ocrea not seen; petiole 37-85 cm long; rachis to 135 cm long; pinnae 15-29 per side, regularly or irregularly arranged in distinct clusters, spreading in slightly different planes, linear to elliptical, caudate, with spines 1-2 cm long on the margins, rarely lacking spines; middle pinnae 30-72 x 3.5-7 cm.
    Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle ca. 10 cm long, strongly recurved, spinulose; prophyll 7.5-15 cm long; peduncular bract 23-30 cm long, densely covered with erect, black or brown spines to 1 cm long; rachis 1.5-3 cm long; rachillae 20-30, 4.5-11 cm long, at anthesis densely covered with brownish or whitish trichomes and moniliform trichomes; triads irregularly arranged among paired or solitary staminate flowers; staminate flowers 3.5-5 mm long, more or less persistent after anthesis; sepal lobes 1-1.5 mm long; petals 3.5-5 mm long; stamens 6; pistillode absent; pistillate flowers to 5 mm long; calyx cupular, 1.5-3 mm long; corolla tubular, 4 mm long; staminodes absent; fruits 1.5-1.6 x 1.3-1.6 cm, obovoid, rostrate, purple; mesocarp juicy; endocarp turbinate, pitted at apex, the sterile pores slightly displaced longitudinally; endocarp fibers numerous, with juice sacs attached; fruiting perianth with small calyx and crenate 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
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae