Astrocaryum urostachys Burret, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 35: 151 (1934)

Content

Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)

Colombia present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B

Ecuador present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B

Peru present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B

W part of the Amazon basin in Ecuador. Endemic. The species appears to have a preference for poorly drained or periodically inundated soils, but can also be found on terra firme. (Borchsenius F., Borgtoft-Pedersen H. and Baslev H. 1998. Manual to the Palms of Ecuador. AAU Reports 37. Department of Systematic Botany, University of Aarhus, Denmark in collaboration with Pontificia Universidad Catalica del Ecuador)A

Discussion

This species is sometimes treated as a variety of Astrocaryum murumuru Mart. If recognised as a separate species it can be regarded as a western segregate characterised by having clustering stems, bristly fruits, and female flowers with non-spiny calyx of approximately the same length as the corolla. Notes for Ecuador. The only Ecuadorian representative of subgenus Monogynanthus. (Borchsenius F., Borgtoft-Pedersen H. and Baslev H. 1998. Manual to the Palms of Ecuador. AAU Reports 37. Department of Systematic Botany, University of Aarhus, Denmark in collaboration with Pontificia Universidad Catalica del Ecuador)A

Conservation

Lower risk/least concern (Borchsenius & Skov 1999). (Borchsenius F., Borgtoft-Pedersen H. and Baslev H. 1998. Manual to the Palms of Ecuador. AAU Reports 37. Department of Systematic Botany, University of Aarhus, Denmark in collaboration with Pontificia Universidad Catalica del Ecuador)A

Description

Understorey or subcanopy palm. Stem short, or rarely to 10 m tall, and ca. 20 cm in diameter. Leaves spreading, usually with leaf axis twisting so that the distal part of the blade is held vertically, to 8 m long; pinnae to 130 on each side, regularly inserted in one plane, straight, grey or brownish white below. Inflorescences erect, to 150 cm long; branches to 250, to 15 cm long, each with one solitary ca. 15 mm long female flower at base. Male flowers 3-4 mm long. Fruits 6-9 cm long, more or less pear shaped, covered with brown to black bristles, distally with a ca. 1 cm long beak. (Borchsenius F., Borgtoft-Pedersen H. and Baslev H. 1998. Manual to the Palms of Ecuador. AAU Reports 37. Department of Systematic Botany, University of Aarhus, Denmark in collaboration with Pontificia Universidad Catalica del Ecuador)A

Use Record

Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Alimento. Fruto. Artesanal. Semillas. (Cerón, C.E., A. Payaguaje, D. Payaguaje et al. 2005: Etnobotánica Secoya)
Use Category Use Sub Category Plant Part Human Group Ethnic Group Country
Cultural Personal adornment Seeds Indigenous Secoya Ecuador
Human Food Food Fruits Indigenous Secoya Ecuador

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Cultural	Personal adornment	Seeds	Indigenous	Secoya	Ecuador
Human Food	Food	Fruits	Indigenous	Secoya	Ecuador

Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Astrocaryum urostachys Burret Vernacular names: Iiba (adult), emetugawe (juvenile plant), iica (fruit). No voucher was taken. Uses. CO: Leaves are used for improvised thatch when there is a lack of better material. The stem is used for posts in house construction. E: The immature endosperm and that of germinating seeds are edible. M: The young liquid endosperm is eaten to cure colds. (Macía, M.J. 2004: Multiplicity in palm uses by the Huaorani of Amazonian Ecuador)

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Construction	Thatch	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador
Medicinal and Veterinary	Respiratory system	Seeds	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador
Construction	Houses	Stem	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador
Human Food	Food	Seeds	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador

Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Construcción. Estípite. Zoo-uso. Fruto. Artesanal. Semillas. (Cerón, C.E., and C. Montalvo 2000: Reserva Biológica Limoncocha. Formaciones vegetales, Diversidad y Etnobotánica.)

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Construction	Houses	Stem	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Animal Food	Wildlife attractant	Fruits	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Utensils and Tools	Other	Seeds	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador

Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Construcción. Tallo. Alim. Animal. Fruto. Artesanal. Semilla. (Cerón, C.E., C. Montalvo, C.I. Reyes, and, D. Andi 2005: Etnobotánica Quichua Limoncocha, Sucumbíos-Ecuador)

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Animal Food	Wildlife attractant	Fruits	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Construction	Houses	Stem	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Utensils and Tools	Other	Seeds	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador

Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: El palmito de esta planta es consumido y se le conoce como "ramus yuyu". El endocarpio duro y la semilla son consumidos por ardilla, guanta, guatusa y guatín. Las hojas jóvenes son cosechadas y usadas para tejidos decorativos del Domingo de Ramos, de la misma manera en que las hojas de Ceroxylon son usadas en los pueblos de los Andes.(…). Una hoja cosechada puede ser vendida, (…). Después de que las hojas tejidas han sido usadas en Domingo de Ramos son guardadas en las casas y más tarde son usadas para propósitos rituales en el tratamiento de "mal aire". Para este propósito la hoja seca se pulveriza, se enrolla a manera de cigarrillo y el humo se sopla sobre la persona (niño) que sufre de "mal aire". (…). Este uso de la hoja está relacionado con poderes divinos obtenidos a partir de la cereminia religiosa de Domingo de Ramos. (Balslev, H., M. Rios, G. Quezada and B. Nantipa 1997: Palmas útiles en la cordillera de los Huacamayos)

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Human Food	Food	Palm heart	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Medicinal and Veterinary	Cultural diseases and disorders	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Animal Food	Wildlife attractant	Fruits	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Cultural	Ritual	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Animal Food	Wildlife attractant	Seeds	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador

Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Fruits and palm heart edible. Leaves used for thatch and for Easter ceremonies. The ash from burned trunks is used to cure people affected by "mal-aire". (Báez, S. 1998: Dictionary of plants used by the Canelos-Quichua)

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Human Food	Food	Fruits	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Human Food	Food	Palm heart	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Construction	Thatch	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Medicinal and Veterinary	Cultural diseases and disorders	Stem	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Cultural	Ritual	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador

Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Fruits are used for necklaces. The liquid endosperm of young fruits and the spongy endosperm of germinating seeds are edible. Stems are occasionally used for thatch and in easter processions. Sweat bands for the forehead are made from the pinnae of the leaf. (Borchsenius F., Borgtoft-Pedersen H. and Baslev H. 1998. Manual to the Palms of Ecuador. AAU Reports 37. Department of Systematic Botany, University of Aarhus, Denmark in collaboration with Pontificia Universidad Catalica del Ecuador)

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Construction	Bridges	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador
Construction	Bridges	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Human Food	Food	Seeds	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador
Cultural	Ritual	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Cultural	Personal adornment	Fruits	Indigenous	Secoya	Ecuador
Human Food	Food	Seeds	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Cultural	Personal adornment	Fruits	Indigenous	Siona	Ecuador

Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Las semillas en germinación se usan en la alimentación humana no requieren ser cocinados. Los frutos comen las guatusas, guatines, ardillas, guantas, huanganas y sajinos. El estípite se usa como poste en la construcción de viviendas. El estípite se usa como leña. Las hojas se usan quitando las espinas para techar viviendas. (Cerón, C.E., and C.G. Montalvo 1998: Etnobotánica de los Huaorani de Quehueiri-Ono, Napo-Ecuador)

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Construction	Houses	Stem	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador
Fuel	Firewood	Stem	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador
Human Food	Food	Seeds	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador
Construction	Thatch	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador
Animal Food	Wildlife attractant	Fruits	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador

Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Los frutos son comidos por las ardillas; guantas y guatusas; antes los Cofanes usaban las semillas para hacer collares; los foliolos para hacer coronas de sudor; uso tradicional Cofán. (Cerón, C.E., C.G. Montalvo, J. Umenda et al. 1994: Etnobotánica y notas sobre la diversidad vegetal en la comunidad Cofán de Sinangüé, Sucumbíos, Ecuador)

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Cultural	Cloth and accessories	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Cofán	Ecuador
Cultural	Personal adornment	Seeds	Indigenous	Cofán	Ecuador
Animal Food	Wildlife attractant	Fruits	Indigenous	Cofán	Ecuador

Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Los vegetales que se emplean en la alimentación, además provienen de la recolección de frutos silvestres durante todo el año; así en los primero meses hasta marzo, se recoge: (…), usahua (fruto de la palmera espinosa), (…), sili-muyu ( palmera), (…). Se pueden encontrar en cualquier época chunta-caspi-muyu, palmitos de chapaja, chambira, ushuahua, ungurahua, patihua, (…), paihua (frutos tiernos o maduros de palmera), (…). Desde mediados y hasta finales de año pueden recolectar: ungurahua-muyu, morete-muyu (…). (…). Entre los artefactos de caza, la bodoquera, elaborada con chonta y cuyaiyura y los dardos de nayoa ( palma similar a la chonta), shiguacara y ungurahua. Ungurahua-muyu. (…). Jessenia bataua. Fruto. Diarrea con sangre. Con los frutos lavados y pelados se hace cocción concentrada. Se toma en ayunas. (Iglesias, G. 1989: Sacha Jambi- El uso de las plantas en la medicina tradicional de los Quichuas del Napo)
Use Category Use Sub Category Plant Part Human Group Ethnic Group Country
Human Food Food Fruits Indigenous Quichua Ecuador
Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Palms with edible palm heart eaten by the Shuar are Astrocaryum urostachys (awant’), Ceroxylon amazonicum (paik’), Iriartea deltoidea (ampakai), Mauritia flexuosa (achu), Oenocarpus bataua (kunkuk’), Oenocarpus mapora (shímpi), Prestoea acuminata (sake), Prestoea schultzeana (tinkimi), Socratea exorrhiza (kupat) and Wettinia maynensis (terén). Oenocarpus bataua is considered to have the tastiest palm heart. Palm heart is eaten raw or prepared in tonga. Tonga are made by wrapping a mixture of fish, meat, vegetables and condiments in large banana, Canna edulis or Renealmia alpinia leaves. The tonga are then roasted in an open fire. (…). The leaves of Oenocarpus mapora, Prestoea schultzeana and Wettinia maynensis are used for thatching roofs. (Van den Eynden, V., E. Cueva, and O. Cabrera 2004: Edible palms of Southern Ecuador)
Use Category Use Sub Category Plant Part Human Group Ethnic Group Country
Human Food Food Palm heart Indigenous Shuar Ecuador
Human Food Food Seeds Indigenous Shuar Ecuador
Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Se utilizan las semillas en la confección de collares. Para preparar las semillas, se remueve la cubierta espinosa y se lima un poco. Tradicionalmente, se utilizan las pinnas para fabricar coronas para la frente de las indígenas cofanes mayores. (Cerón, C.E. 1995: Etnobiología de los Cofanes de Dureno, provincia de Sucumbíos, Ecuador)
Use Category Use Sub Category Plant Part Human Group Ethnic Group Country
Cultural Personal adornment Entire leaf Indigenous Cofán Ecuador
Cultural Personal adornment Seeds Indigenous Cofán Ecuador
Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Semilla tierna. Fresco. (Mendoza, P. 1994: Identificación de los frutos comestibles silvestres recolectados por los indígenas Huaorani de la comunidad de Toñiampari en la Amazonía del Ecuador)
Use Category Use Sub Category Plant Part Human Group Ethnic Group Country
Human Food Beverages Seeds Indigenous Huaorani Ecuador

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Human Food	Food	Palm heart	Indigenous	Shuar	Ecuador
Human Food	Food	Seeds	Indigenous	Shuar	Ecuador

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Cultural	Personal adornment	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Cofán	Ecuador
Cultural	Personal adornment	Seeds	Indigenous	Cofán	Ecuador

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Human Food	Beverages	Seeds	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador

Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Techado. Hoja. Alimento. Cogollo. Construcción. Tallo. Ritual. Hoja. (Cerón, C.E. 1995: Etnobiología de los Cofanes de Dureno, provincia de Sucumbíos, Ecuador)

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Construction	Thatch	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Cultural	Ritual	Entire leaf	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Human Food	Food	Palm heart	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador
Construction	Houses	Stem	Indigenous	Quichua	Ecuador

Astrocaryum urostachys Burret: Uso comestible. Fruto y meristemo apical. (Santín Luna, F. 2004: Ethnobotany of the Communities of the upper Rio Nangaritza.)
Use Category Use Sub Category Plant Part Human Group Ethnic Group Country
Human Food Food Palm heart Indigenous Shuar Ecuador
Human Food Food Fruits Indigenous Shuar Ecuador

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Human Food	Food	Palm heart	Indigenous	Shuar	Ecuador
Human Food	Food	Fruits	Indigenous	Shuar	Ecuador

Bibliography

A. Borchsenius F., Borgtoft-Pedersen H. and Baslev H. 1998. Manual to the Palms of Ecuador. AAU Reports 37. Department of Systematic Botany, University of Aarhus, Denmark in collaboration with Pontificia Universidad Catalica del Ecuador

B. World Checklist of Arecaceae

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