Prestoea schultzeana
Prestoea (pres-toh-EH-ah) schultzeana (skultz-eh-AHN-ah) | |||||||
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Charcos, Puntarenas, Costa Rica (8.682851, -83.49266).Photo by Dr. Reinaldo Aguilar | |||||||
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Contents
Habitat and Distribution
Eastern Andean foothills, and western Amazon region of Colombia (Amazonas, Putumayo), Ecuador (Morona-Santiago, Napo, Pastaza), and Peru (Amazonas, Loreto, Pasco); low-lying, flat areas subject to flooding, rarely on terra firme, usually near streams or rivers, usually below 400 m but occasionally to 900 m. (Gloria Galeano and A. Henderson)Description
Stems cespitose, and rarely solitary, generally with 1 stem developed and basal shoots, but sometimes with to 10 stems, erect or leaning, 0.2-5 m tall, 3-5.5 cm in diam., brown, often covered with persistent leaf bases, with a 30-70 cm high cone of roots visible at base. Leaves 4-10, spreading; sheath closed for about ½ its length and not forming a crownshaft, persistent on the stem, 37-50 cm long including a short ligule, with scattered, brown, flat scales; petiole 0.8-1.6 m long, densely whitish brown tomentose, glabrescent; rachis 1.2-2.2 m long, ridged adaxially, rounded abaxially, tomentose like petiole abaxially, glabrescent; pinnae (21-) 33-38 per side, regularly spaced and horizontally spreading in the same plane, subopposite, linearlanceolate with an abruptly narrowed, about 6 cm long filiform apex, with midvein prominent adaxially and abaxially, several lateral veins present, lacking ramenta abaxially; basal pinna (23- ) 32-47 x 0.3-1.5 cm; middle pinnae (30-) 46-58 (-81) x 2-4.4 (-6) cm; apical pinna 10-2 1 (-40) x 0.5-2 cm. Inflorescences corymbose, interfoliar, arching; peduncle 45-80 cm long, 0.8-2 cm in diam., almost terete, with flattened , branched, whitish or brownish hairs; prophyll 18- 37 cm long, 2 cm diam., flattened; peduncular bract 0.6-1.2 m long including a 12-14 cm long umbo, tubular, persistent, inserted 6-12 cm above insertion of prophyll; rachis 4-30 cm long, with hairs like those of peduncle; rachillae 5-13, spirally arranged, slightly swollen at base, proximal ones 20-75 cm long, distal ones 16-60 cm long, 1.5-3.5 mm in diam. in flower, thickening to 2-3.5 mm in fruit, white at anthesis, becoming red in fruit, densely covered with whitish, branched, erect or flexuous hairs; flowers in triads proximally, paired or solitary staminate distally, white at anthesis; triad bracteole apiculate; first flower bracteole apiculate, second and third flower bracteoles prominent, ± equal, strongly apiculale 10 almost deltate, 0.5 mm high; staminate flowers 3-5 mm long; sepals deltate, acute at the apex, 1.5-1.7 mm long, keeled, minutely ciliate; petals lanceolate-ovate, 3-5 mm long, with white hairs abaxially; filaments 2-3 cm long, lanceolate, flattened, adnate proximally to petals; anthers 2-2.5 mm long; pistillode 3-3.5 mm long, deeply trifid at apex ; pistillate flowers 2-4 mm long; sepals very widely ovate, 2-3 mm long, ciliate, with whitish hairs abaxially; petals widely ovate, 3.5 mm long, glabrous, minutely ciliate; staminodes digitate or sometimes absent; fruits globose, 0.7- 1 cm in diam., the stigmatic remains subapical to lateral; epicarp black at maturity, minutely tuberculate; seeds globose, 5-7 mm in diam.; endosperm slightly ruminate; eophyll pinnate with elongate rachis. (Gloria Galeano and A. Henderson)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.
This species is rather homogeneous, but some specimens from the periphery of the range are somewhat different. Gentry et al. 29157 has scarcely pilose staminate and pistillate flowers; D. Smith 2016 and D. Smith 3985 are reported to come from non-inundated, limestone soils at higher elevations; and Vásquez et al. 12693 has crustose hairs on the rachillae and is also reported from non-inundated soils. (Gloria Galeano and A. Henderson)/Palmweb.
Culture
Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b
Comments and Curiosities
Uses: The leaves are occasionally used to thatch temporary shelters; the seeds are used in blowguns to shoot small birds (Waorani). In Peru (Ameshua), the roots are used to make tea to treat diarrhea or are rubbed on rashes (Salick 7085). (Gloria Galeano and A. Henderson)/Palmweb.
A small or moderate sized clustered palm from wet forests in the Andean foothills in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru with canelike stems to 5 m (17 ft.) tall and open crowns of finely pinnate leaves. In cultivation it is rarely seen and best suited to the humid tropics. (RPS.com)
External Links
References
Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.
Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos.
Special thanks to Palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos.
Glossary of Palm Terms; Based on the glossary in Dransfield, J., N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen-Lange, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis. 2008. Genera Palmarum - Evolution and Classification of the Palms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. All images copyright of the artists and photographers (see images for credits).
Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson. Flora Neotropica. New York Botanical Garden.
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.