Euterpe luminosa

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Euterpe luminosa
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Scientific Classification
Genus: Euterpe Species: luminosa
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
America
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Peru : guayaquil , palma palanca.

Habitat and Distribution

Endemic to Peru. Known only from the type locality in Peru (Pasco); understory of moist cloud forest bordering pajonal vegetation, characterized by its shrubby, xeromorphic composition, alt. 2000-2500 m.

Description

Stems cespitose (growing in tufts or clumps), but generally only one developes with suckers at the base, erect, 5-11 m tall, 5-7 cm in diam., grayish. Leaves 9-12 in the crown, spreading; sheath 48-65 cm long, without a ligule, green, with moderate covering of woolly, reddish brown hairs apically; petiole 20-35 cm long, green (reddish, as the rachis, in young plants), densely covered on both surfaces with woolly, reddish brown hairs; rachis 1.1-1.4 m long, densely covered on both surfaces with hairs like those of petiole; pinnae 48-69 per side, almost pendulous (forming a roof shape), subopposite, glabrous, with midvein prominent adaxially and abaxially and with 2 submarginal lateral veins, the pinnae margins and veins adaxially and abaxially with scattered ramenta; basal pinna 20-25 x 0.1-0.2 cm wide; middle pinnae 35-41 x 0.6-1 cm wide; apical pinna 14-15 x 0.5 cm. lnflorescences infrafoliar at anthesis, erect; peduncle 4-5 cm long, 1 cm in diam. at peduncular bract scar; prophyll about 32 cm long, about 3 cm in diam., papyraceous, glabrous; peduncular bract 32 cm long, without an umbo, 2 cm in diam. glabrous, peduncle with 2 or 3 smaller peduncular bracts present to 4 cm long; rachis 13-16 cm long; rachillae 30-40, to 30 cm long, to 2 mm in diam. at anthesis, absent from adaxial surface of rachis, slightly swollen at base, each subtended by a small bracteole, sparsely to densely covered with 0.5 mm long, stellate, reddish brown hairs, these straight or slightly undulate, fasciculate; flowers in triads proximally, paired or solitary staminate distally, or occasionally inflorescence almost all staminate; triad bracteole prominent, apiculate to 1 mm long. Second and third flower bracteoles low, membranous; staminate flowers 6-7 mm long, some shortly pedicellate; sepals deltate, 2.5 mm long, briefly connate below, free distally, gibbous; petals triangular, 5 mm long; stamens arranged on a short receptacle; filaments 1.5 mm long; anthers 3 mm long; pistillode 1 mm long; pistillate flowers to 2.5 mm long; sepals very widely ovate, 2 mm long; petals very widely ovate, 2 mm long; staminodes 6, very small, digitate. Fruits ellipsoid, 2 cm long, 1 cm in diam., the stigmatic remains prominent, subapical, with an expanded perianth to 7 mm long; epicarp black; seeds ellipsoid; endosperm homogeneous, with central air space; eophyll pinnate with an elongate rachis. Editing by edric.

This unusual species not only has a very narrow range (as currently known) but it also is unique in having ellipsoid fruits, a condition nearly unknown in both Prestoea (rarely occurring in P. acuminata var. dasystachys) and Euterpe. It is also unusual in the genus in having a pinnate eophyll with an elongate rachis, and staminodes in the pistillate flowers; both of these characters occur in Prestoea. (Gloria Galeano and A. Henderson).

Comments and Curiosities

Uses: Often used for palm hearts. The trunks are used as poles, to move small canoes.

External Links

• Glossary of Palm Terms
• Pronunciation Key

References

Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos, edric.

• IMAGE GALLERY
• 

  Outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Dr. Scott Zona, edric.

• 

  In habitat. Photo by Dr. Andrew J. Henderson, edric.

Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.

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