Desmoncus giganteus A.J.Hend., Palms Amazon : 225 (1995)

Content

Distribution

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

Brazil North present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)C

Colombia present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)C

Ecuador present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)C

Peru present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)C

W Amazon region in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil, below 600 m elevation. (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

From 0°32'-7°25'S and 70°10'-78°15'W in the western Amazon region in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil at 266(150-440) m elevation in lowland rainforest or secondary forest. (Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88)B

Discussion

Taxonomic notes:-Desmoncus giganteus is characterized by its large size and unusually large fruits with long fruiting corollas. It is the only species of Desmoncus always reported to have solitary stems; all other species have clustered or rarely solitary stems. It is probably more common than the few specimens suggest. Moreno Suárez and Moreno Suárez (2006) consider that this species occurs in Bolivia. However, the description and illustrations they give of the fruits do not match those of D. giganteus, and appear more like those of the large morphotype of D. polyacanthos. (Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88)B

Description

Canopy reaching liana. Stem solitary, to 30 m long and 5 cm in diameter, usually covered with persistent leaf sheaths. Leaves 2-3 m long, the axis with slender, black spines, distally often unarmed; pinnae 9-10 on each side, evenly spaced, elliptic, 25-45 cm long and 6-12 cm wide; distal part of the rachis with 8-9 pairs of pinnae transformed into climbing hooks. Inflorescence 40-50 cm long; branches numerous, to 10 cm long or more. Fruits red, elongate, ca. 40 x 20 mm, rostrate. (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
Plants 22.3(4.5-50.0) m tall; stems 4.4(4.0-4.8) cm diameter, solitary. Leaf petioles 20.5(15.0-30.0) cm long; rachises 157.5(125.0-190.0) cm long, 12.2(10.1-14.2) mm wide, the spines usually >1 cm long, mostly adaxial or lateral, straight with briefly swollen bases; pinnae 10 per side of rachis, without long, filiform apices, with an adaxial beard of spines at the bases, without spinules or dense tomentum at the bases adaxially; basal pinna 39.2(32.0-46.5) cm long, 6.5(5.7-7.3) cm wide; cirri well-developed, with acanthophylls, without spines abaxially, with intermediate acanthophylls present, without a wide gap between pinnae and acanthophylls. Inflorescences with the rachis ridged, not twisted, much thicker than the numerous, closely spaced and spirally or irregularly arranged rachillae, each rachilla not or only briefly adnate to the rachis, subtended by an acute bracteole and with a well-developed axillary pulvinus; peduncles 8.5(6.5-11.7) mm wide; peduncular bracts length no data, broad, the surfaces ribbed, brown tomentose, densely covered with long, straight or sinuous, briefly swollen-based, diagonally or vertically oriented spines, these flattened or triangular in cross-section, whitish-brown proximally, black or brown distally, with tomentose margins; rachillae number no data, glabrous or scarcely tomentose initially; proximal rachillae 16.0 cm long, 1.7 mm wide; stamens number no data; fruits 36.2(21.5-42.6) mm long, 16.6(12.7-18.3) mm wide, the surfaces smooth, without any apparent subepidermal fibers; fruiting corollas to half as long as fruits, splitting irregularly into 3 lobes, the lobes often splitting again; endocarps ovoid to obovoid with prominent, peaked apices, the pores lateral. (Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88)B

Use Record

Desmoncus giganteus A.J.Hend.: Desmoncus giganteus A.J.Hend. Español: Vara-casha Usos: Medicinal y cosmético — El tallo es usado con fines medicinales; los frutos son utilizados para tratar enfermedades sanguíneas. Herramientas y utensilios — El tallo se utiliza en la fabricación de asientos, partes de muebles y para canastas; el tallo también sirve como cuerda para atar, por ejemplo, hojas para techo cuando se las transportan del bosque y como tendedero para la ropa; en algunos casos se utilizan los frutos como cebo para la pesca. Para venta — Los tallos son comercializados. Comunidad: 3–14, 16–20, 23–30. Voucher: H. Balslev 7448. (Balslev, H., C. Grandez, et al. 2008: Useful palms (Arecaceae) near Iquitos, Peruvian Amazon)

Use Category	Use Sub Category	Plant Part	Human Group	Ethnic Group	Country
Animal Food	Fish bait	Fruits	Not identified	N/A	Peru
Medicinal and Veterinary	Blood and cardiovascular system	Fruits	Not identified	N/A	Peru
Utensils and Tools	Domestic	Stem	Not identified	N/A	Peru
Utensils and Tools	Rope	Stem	Not identified	N/A	Peru
Medicinal and Veterinary	Not specified	Stem	Not identified	N/A	Peru

Desmoncus giganteus A.J.Hend.: Desmoncus giganteus An. Hend. Vernacular names: Orcame, yeyerucaime. Vouchers: Macía et al. #545; Macía et al. #948; Macía et al. #1196. Uses. E: The mesocarp is occasionally eaten. HF: The flexible stem is used as a frame for fishing nets. The terminal pinnae transformed into climbing hooks are used for hunting young birds from nest holes. These climbing hooks are also used as hooks for fishing. O: The spines are used to remove thorns. (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
Utensils and Tools	Hunting and fishing	Stem	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador
Human Food	Food	Fruits	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador
Other	N/A	Spines	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador

Desmoncus giganteus A.J.Hend.: Los frutos comen los tucanes y pájaros pequeños conocidos en el idioma huaorani como: congangas, pegomes. El tallo se usa como caña de pescar. El tallo raspado se usa como virusa para taco de la escopeta. El tallo se usa para hacer la base de los cestos. (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
Animal Food	Wildlife attractant	Fruits	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador
Utensils and Tools	Domestic	Stem	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador
Utensils and Tools	Hunting and fishing	Stem	Indigenous	Huaorani	Ecuador

Desmoncus giganteus A.J.Hend.: Stem are used for "tambors" (=drums) and when no better material is found, for baskets. The small "fruit" inside the bud is eaten to prevent hernia. Arrows are made by "curanderos" and are used in ceremonies. (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
Utensils and Tools	Domestic	Stem	Indigenous	Shuar	Ecuador
Medicinal and Veterinary	Other	Palm heart	Not identified	N/A	Ecuador
Cultural	Ritual	Not specified	Indigenous	Achuar	Ecuador
Cultural	Recreational	Stem	Indigenous	Achuar	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. Henderson, A. 2011: A revision of Desmoncus (Arecaceae). – Phytotaxa 35: 1-88

C. World Checklist of Arecaceae

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