Astrocaryum paramaca

Guyane, (French Guiana).

Astrocaryum paramaca

Scientific Classification

Genus:	Astrocaryum
Species:	paramaca

Synonyms

Astrocaryum acanthopodium

Native Continent

America

Morphology

Habit:	Solitary
Leaf type:	Pinnate

Culture

Survivability index

Common names

Paramaca palm.

Habitat and Distribution

Northern Brazil, French Guiana, and Suriname.

Description

This is a monoecious palm, (has both sexes on one plant). A heavily armed petiole, the thorns in the lower parts are winged. The inflorescence, which is surrounded by a hairy brown sheath, with needle-like thorns, has the male flowers at the upper - and the female flowers at the lower side. The fruits are brown, oblong - ellipsoid; the mesocarp is bright yellow while the endocarp is black. The dry outside of the fruit burst open like a star, exposing the black stone-like seed. A palm of the undergrowth, acaulescent, (appearing stemless), the stem is actually underground, and most of it shaped like a saxophone, this is a tillering palm, (it has a heel). These palms collect falling canopy litter, and it concentrates at the base of the plant.