Butia catarinensis

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Butia (boo-TEE-ah)
catarinensis (kaht-tah-reen-EN-sis)
Biggest odorata we saw.JPG
Uraguay. "catarinensis ,the biggest I found with human for scale. Very different." Photo by Nigel Kembrey.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Butia (boo-TEE-ah)
Species:
catarinensis (kaht-tah-reen-EN-sis)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
America
America.gif
Morphology
Habit: Solitary
Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Butia catarinensis is found in Southern Brazil. Mediterranean Forest, woodlands and Scrub.

Tabuleiro - Palhoça - Santa Catarina - Brasil. Photo by Marcia Stefani.

Description

Butia catarinensis grows in huge populations in parts of Southern Brazil along the coast especially around Laguna, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul. The trunk is very fine, and the palm rarely reaches 3 m height. Editing by edric.

Culture

Butia catarinensis starts to show damage at around -8C, odorata will take a couple of degrees lower. Cold Hardiness Zone: 7b

Comments and Curiosities

"Butias of the coastline of Santa catarina and north Rio grande do Sul, which formerly known as odorata are now officially catarinensis, a new species. Elongated seeds and small trunks. If you have a Butia `capitata` with round seeds its an odorata now. If you have a `capitata` with elongated seeds it could be a catarinensis or a real capitata. I had seeds from the real Butia capitata sent to me some 3 years ago and sold quite a lot of real capitata seedlings in the UK. These seeds were very similar to seeds of catarinensis , slightly more pointed at both ends and symeterical, shape of a rugby ball." (Nigel Kembrey)

This palm is formally classified as Butia capitata var odorata. Many experts had consider it should be a separate species, and having seen the palm growing in the wild one could only agree, as it could not be more different. Native to Southern Brazil and named locally Butia de bahia or Butia of the beach, the palm is small compared to the usual Butia capitata (now B. odorata), the trunk rarely exceeds 6 inches width and 3m height. The span rarely exceeds 2 metres. Considerably hardy, and extremely beautiful, it is extremely hard to understand why this palm is not in cultivation. It will make the perfect palm for the small European garden and seems destined for a successful introduction into general cultivation. The palm grows by the million in parts of Southern Brazil, and every house seems to have a palm in the front garden as it is small, decorative with beautiful blue/silvery leaves and never gets too large. Palms are available from seedlings to total height to mature fully grown specimens with 3m trunks.. (butia.nl)

This smallish Butia from Santa Catarina and southern Brazil is a compact, wind resistant palm with a short trunk, a small crown with often stiff, upright leaves and small fruits and small ellipsoid seeds. Seeds and plants of this species have in the past been distributed as B. capitata var. odorata, B. odorata or B. capitata "Nana". A Butia cultivated in France as B. capitata var. strictior might belong in this species. (exotischezaden.nl)

Bract stalk smooth, glauca, without tomentum lanuginous, Plant with stems up to 2 feet tall and 15-43 cm in diameter; bract of the inflorescence stalk widest above the middle portion and ending abruptly in a short beak; fruits more long than wide, narrow-oblong............ Butia catarinensis. (From the portuguese)

See external links Palmtalk for full story. edric.



  • IMAGE GALLERY

  • Tabuleiro - Palhoça - Santa Catarina - Brasil. Photo by Marcia Stefani.

  • Uraguay. "catarinensis ,the biggest I found with human for scale. Very different." Photo by Nigel Kembrey.

  • Laguna, Brazil. Photo by Nigel Kembrey.

  • Carambeí-second tableland of the state of Paraná-south Brazi. Photo by Alberto Leonardo Barkema.

  • Seed comes from one of the most northerly populations situated at Sao Francisco Do Sul , santa Catarina. Florianopolis Brazil. Photo by Photo by Nigel Kembrey.

  • Another variation growing some 500km further south on the border between Santa catarina and Rio Grande Do Sul. This form is much untidier, more glaucous and has a smaller crown. However the spathe, flower, and acorn shaped fruits remain the same. Both these populations occur on sand dunes next to the beach. Photo by Photo by Nigel Kembrey.

  • another variation growing some 500 km further south on the border between Santa catarina and Rio Grande Do Sul. This form is much untidier, more glaucous and has a smaller crown. However the spathe, flower, and acorn shaped fruits remain the same. Both these populations occur on sand dunes next to the beach. Photo by Photo by Nigel Kembrey.

  • A third population I found some 200 km north of the most southerly is very different. It was not growing in dunes but was on the top of an escarpment some 500 km from the beach. It seems to be a dwarf form, almost spineless. The flower bract is acute which is different. The fruit and seed is beaked rather than acorn shaped. I believe this population is worthy of further study. Oddly growing nearby in sand dunes were normal catarinensis. Photo by Photo by Nigel Kembrey.

  • |A third population I found some 200 km north of the most southerly is very different. It was not growing in dunes but was on the top of an escarpment some 500 km from the beach. It seems to be a dwarf form, almost spineless. The flower bract is acute which is different. The fruit and seed is beaked rather than acorn shaped. I believe this population is worthy of further study. Oddly growing nearby in sand dunes were normal catarinensis. Photo by Nigel Kembrey.

  • Photo-exotischezaden.nl.

  • One of the var. of B. catarinensis. Lorenzi and Noblick considered naming the Butia catarinensis as bonnettii but were not able to prove 100% that they were one and the same.

  • The first two seeds labeled capitata, show Butia catarinensis on the left (was considered a var. of the Pindo palm, was capitata, this var. now has it's own classification) and odorata (what was referred to for decades as capitata) on the right, the others are as labeled. Photo by Pindo.

  • Seeds of B.catarinensis with bigger seeds of B.eriospatha. Alberto Leonardo Barkema.

  • Uruguay odorata seeds (big round ones) and catarinensis seeds. Photo by Nigel Kembrey.

  • Photo by Nigel Kembrey.

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).


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

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