Bactris hatschbachii

Bactris (BAHK-triss) hatschbachii (hahtch-bahk'-ee)
Brazil. Photo by Gilio Giacomozzi.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Bactris (BAHK-triss) Species: hatschbachii (hahtch-bahk'-ee)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
America
Morphology
Habit: Clustering & caespitose. Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Brazil: brejauva-mirim.

Habitat and Distribution

Brazil (Paraná, São Paulo); lowland rain forest at low elevations.

Brazil. Photo by Gilio Giacomozzi.

Description

Stems cespitose and forming large clumps, 2.5-5 m tall, 2.5- 5 cm in diam., spiny on internodes. Leaves number in crown unknown; leaf spines somewhat clustered, black, terete, to 4 cm long, on lateral surfaces of sheath and petiole, fewer on abaxial surface of rachis; sheath to 40 cm long; oerea not seen; petiole to 16 cm long; rachis to 1.6 m long; pinnae numerous, irregularly arranged, spreading in more or less the same plane, linear, spinulose along the margins, whitish tomentose and setose abaxially; middle pinnae to 50 x 2 cm. Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle to 20 cm long, recurved, sparsely spiny; prophyll 15- 17 cm long; peduncular bract 25-30 cm long, densely covered with appressed, black spines to 1 cm long; rachis 2 cm long; rachillae about 14, to 8 cm long; Triads irregularly arranged among paired or solitary staminate flowers; staminate flowers not seen; pistillate flowers to 6 mm long; calyx copular, 3 mm long; corolla tubular, 6 mm long, spinulose; staminodes 6, linear, or absent; fruits about 2 cm in diam., depressed-globose, purple-black, densely covered with 1.5 mm long, curved. Bulbous based spines, these whitish at the base and black at the tip; mesocarp not seen; endocarp depressed-globose,the sterile pores slightly displaced longitudinally; fruiting perianth with minute calyx and spinulose, lobed corolla, without staminodial ring. (Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

Bactris hatschbachii is diagnosed by the bulbousbased spines of its fruits, resembling those on the peduncular bracts of Desmoncus. This species is named for Gert Hatschbach, who collected several of the specimens examined. (Henderson, A.J., Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79. 2000)/Palmweb.