Difference between revisions of "Syagrus longipedunculata"

Revision as of 22:26, 11 January 2017

Syagrus (sih-AHG-ruhs) longipedunculata (lohn-jee-peh-doon-koo-LAH-tah)
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Scientific Classification
Genus: Syagrus (sih-AHG-ruhs) Species: longipedunculata (lohn-jee-peh-doon-koo-LAH-tah)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
America
Morphology
Habit: Solitary Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
ariri-mirim.

Habitat and Distribution

Brazil West-Central. This palm is endemic to the state of Goiás, in rocky, gravelly, sandy clay soils, of high altitude sparsely vegetated cerrado or campo rupestre.

NOTES: This is a medium-sized acaulescent palm, normally with spicate inflorescences, globose fruit and a long pedunculate inflorescence and infructescence.[[]]

Description

Palm erect, 40–60 cm tall, stem solitary, very short to 20–30 cm in height with a rhizome 6–14 × 5–6 cm. Leaves 3–6 in the crown; sheath about 12–14 cm long; pseudopetiole 8–14 cm long with fibrous and smooth margins; true petiole 7–11 × 0.6–0.9 cm by 0.5–0.7 cm thick, rachis 46–65 (–73) cm long; leaflets, 28–42 along each side of the rachis, distributed irregularly in clusters of 2–4 and inserted in different planes, lanceolate, grayish blue, glabrous on both sides, with acute and asymmetrical apex; basal leaflets measuring 9–16 × 0.7–1.1 cm, middle leaflets 10–19 × 0.7–1.2 cm, apical leaflets 8–15 × 0.5–0.9 cm. Inflorescence a spike with glabrous peduncle, 17–31 cm long, somewhat flattened in crosssection, 0.3–0.4 cm in in diam.; prophyll about 6–10 cm × 1.2–2.0; peduncular bract 25–41 cm long, expanded part 8–19 × 2.2–3.3 cm; inflorescence axis 8.0–15.5 cm long, rachis not measureable with 1 primary branch measuring 8–19 cm long; staminate flowers 14–18 × 4.5–7.0 mm, sepals 3.0–4.7 × 1.0–1.2 mm, glabrous, keeled and connate at the base, petals 12.4–16.0 × 2.9–3.5 mm with acute tips, nerves indistinct to slightly raised, stamens 5.3–6.0 mm long, anther 3.5–4.1 mm long, filaments ca. 1.2–1.8 mm long; basal pistillate flowers elongate conical, glabrous, about 11–12 × 5–6 mm, sepals imbricate 7–10 mm × 4.9–5.5 mm, petals glabrous, imbricate at the base but (upper 2–3 mm) slightly valvate at the tips, 7.5–8.2 mm × 3.5–4.7 mm, pistil glabrous, 6.5–7.1 mm × 3.5 mm, stigmas 3, 2.4–2.5 mm long, staminodial ring about 0.7–1.2 mm high, 6- dentate. Fruits globose or somewhat ellipsoid, green when mature with a little bit of indument on the epicarp, 2.0–2.3 × 1.3–1.7 cm, green, with a fleshy-fibrous (pulpy) mesocarp about 2–3 mm thick, endocarp about 1.5–1.7 × 1.0–1.3 cm, with suture lines visible at the base but obscured at the apex, about 0.8–1.0 mm thick. Seed nearly globose about 0.9–1.0 cm diam. with no internal cavity, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: The specific epithet “longipedunculata” from the Latin, literally; long peduncle, this refers to the longer than normal peduncle seen in this acaulescent palm.

PHENOLOGY: Flowering and older fruits seen in December.