Astrocaryum minus

Astrocaryum (ahs-tro-kahr-EE-uhm) minus (MEE-noos)
Mont Grand Matoury, French Guiana. Photo-ti-palm.fr
Scientific Classification
Genus: Astrocaryum (ahs-tro-kahr-EE-uhm) Species: minus (MEE-noos)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
America
Morphology
Habit: Solitary & clustering. Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Astrocaryum minus is found in Brazil North, French Guiana.

Matoury, French Guiana. Photo-ti-palm.fr

Description

Astrocaryum minus is a thorny palm of the undergrowth, occurs in both solitary & clustering form.

Solitary, with stem 10—15 cm in diameter, internodes up to 10 cm long, spiny; leaves with more than 50 pinnae per side; inflorescence arching horizontally; pistillate flower 13—20 mm long, the spines not hiding the floral parts completely; petals of the staminate flower slightly reflexed. (scielo.org.pe) Editing by edric.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b.

Comments and Curiosities

Extremely rare and only known from two regions of the world: Mount Grand Matoury Guiana and the valley of the river Jutai in Brazil, near the Peruvian border. On Mount Grand Matoury, only two specimens are known. They were discovered in 1995. This species is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, and protected by the prefecture. The species Astrocaryum minus is subject to a high risk of extinction in the medium term in France. The Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning therefore wishes this year, drafting a national action plan for this species. To do this, a tender is being launched. This plan will aim, in view of threats to the species, to ensure its sustainability by achieving a viable population dynamics.