Bactris constanciae Barb.Rodr., Enum. Palm. Nov. : 37 (1875)

Primary tabs

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Brazil North present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
French Guiana present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Suriname present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Eastern Amazon region in Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil (Amazonas, Pará). (Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000)A

Habitat

  • Lowland rain forest on terra firme, at 200-500 m elevation. Throughout its range, this species is not common, and individual plants are found scattered in the forest. (Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000)A

Discussion

  • Bactris constanciae is diagnosed by its densely muricate (with projections to 3 mm long), rosy, dark red, or magenta-purple fruits. (Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000)A

Common Name

  • Brazil: munbaca. (Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000)A

Description

  • Stems cespitose, 1.5-5 m tall, 2.5-5 cm diam., spiny on internodes.
    Leaves 5-8; leafspines scattered, black, somewhat flattened, spinulose proximally, to 7 cm long, on lateral surfaces of sheath and proximal part of petiole, absent from rachis; sheath 20-70 cm long, sheath, petiole, and rachis brown-tomentose; ocrea 10-20 cm long; petiole elongate, 0.8-1.4 m long; rachis 1-3.3 m long; pinnae 14-22 per side, irregularly arranged in distant clusters of 2-8, spreading in different planes, oblanceolate to sigmoid, longacuminate, with spiny margins; middle pinnae 33-40 x 3-7 cm.
    Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle 22-25 cm long, recurved, spiny or not spiny; prophyll 10-22 cm long; peduncular bract 30-45 cm long, with few black spines to 1 cm long; rachis 5-6 cm long; rachillae 12-20, to 12 cm long, densely covered at anthesis with moniliform trichomes; triads irregularly arranged among paired or solitary staminate flowers; staminate flowers to 4 mm long; sepal lobes to 1 mm long; petals to 4 mm long; stamens 6; pistillode absent; pistillate flowers to 5 mm long; calyx tubular, to 4 mm long; corolla tubular, to 5 mm long; staminodes absent; fruits 1.5-2.5 cm diam., globose, densely muricate with projections to 3 mm long, rosy, dark red, or magenta-purple; mesocarp juicy; endocarp depressedoblong, the sterile pores displaced longitudinally; endocarp fibers free, numerous, with juice sacs attached; fruiting perianth with deeply 3-lobed calyx almost as long as the deeply 3-lobed 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