Calyptronoma rivalis
Calyptronoma (kah-lip-tro-NO-mah) rivalis (rihv-AH-liss) | |||||||
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![]() Florida. Photo by Dr. J. Roncal/Palmweb. | |||||||
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Contents
Habitat and Distribution
Calyptronoma rivalis is found in Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico. Native to stream banks and arroyos in the hills and mountains of Hispaniola and western Puerto Rico. (S. Zona. 1995)/Palmweb.All three natural populations are located in the semi-evergreen, limestone forests of northwestern Puerto Rico. These forests are at elevations of 100 to 150 meters. The habitat areas are wet and humid, and the natural populations are found in level or almost level areas around stream banks. These palm trees will grow in sun or shade. In the upper part of the Rio Camuy, some individuals are located at the bottom of deep canyons.
RANGE AND POPULATION LEVEL: Until 1980, this palm tree was known from only one site, Quebrada Collazo, a small stream near San Sebastian in northwestern Puerto Rico. Only 44 individuals remain there. Two additional populations have been discovered within the last decade; one site, along the Camuy River, was discovered in 1980. The other site, along the Guajataca River, was found later. The combined population at these two sites is 220 individuals. In addition, two new populations have been established from palm tree seedlings, one in the Puerto Rican Department of Natural Resources' Rio Abajo Commonwealth Forest and the other at Camp Guajataca, owned by the Boy Scouts.
Description
Palma de manaca is a palm tree reaching about 30 to 40 feet (8 to 10 meters) in height. Its trunk is smooth and may grow to 6 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) in diameter. Leaf: , 12 to 14 spineless, feather-shaped leaves, up to 12 feet long with a 2-foot long leaf stalk and a 2-foot long sheath. Trunk: Smooth, 6 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) in diameter. Flower: Its large flowers are clustered, branched, and drooping. They are arranged in triads of two males and one female. Fruit: reddish when ripe. 0.25 inch wide (6 mm.). All of the fruits mature at the same time and fall with the persistent flower parts still attached to the base. imperfectly round. The palm tree has spineless, feather-shaped leaves which can reach up to 12 feet long with a 2-foot long leaf stalk and a 2-foot long sheath. Its large flowers are clustered, branched, and drooping. Borne on sunken pits, these flowers are arranged in triads of two males and one female. The fruits, less than one-quarter-inch wide, are imperfectly round and reddish when ripe. Fruit: 0.25 inch wide (6 mm.). All of the fruits mature at the same time and fall with the persistent flower parts still attached to the base. imperfectly round. Editing by edric.
Detailed Scientific Description |
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Stem to 15 m tall. Leaf 3.1-5 m long; segments 54-107 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, glabrous on the abaxial intercostal surface. Prophyll 35-61 cm - long, 6-10 cm wide; penduncular bract 66-77 cm long, ca. 8.5 cm wide. Peduncle 39-77 cm long and 1.3-3 cm wide; rachillae 17-23 (-26) cm long, 3.7-5.4 mm in diam., with 6 (-7)'rows of pits; proximal rachillae borne in clusters of up to 3-5 (-7) on stalks 1.4-5.2 cm long, 0.6-0.9 cm wide, clustered rachillae borne for 1/2-2/3 the length of the rachis; pits 2.4-3.5 mm long, 1.7- 2.9 mm wide, longitudinal distance between pits (lip to lip) 5.3-10.5 mm. Staminate flowers 4.8-5.1 mm long; sepals 3-3.6 mm long, 1.1-1.2 mm wide; petals completely connate; staminal tube 4.1-4.5 mm long, 1.5-1.6 mm wide; filaments 0.8-1.2 mm long; anthers 1.6-1.7 mm long. Pistillate flowers not seen. Fruit 4.6-7 mm long, 3.6-4.6 mm in diam.; endocarp adherent from seed, obscurely net-like; seed 3.8-4.9 mm long, 2.9-3.5 mm in diam. (S. Zona. 1995)/Palmweb. Cook designated no type for his Cocops rivalis, but the specimen at US collected by Underwood and Griggs the same year in which the name was published is annotated as the type by R. Read. I concur with his choice of lectotype. The type named by Wessels Boer (1968), Cook s.n., does not exist. Bailey designated two syntypes in his original description of C. quisqueyana. Bailey 229 is a fertile collection from a mature palm; whereas, Bailey 229a is a vegetative collection from a nearby palm that was specifically collected to supplement 229 ("Collected to show leaf tip"). The more complete collection, Bailey 229, is therefore taken as the lectotype. On Hispaniola, where this species co-occurs with C. plumeriana, the two species do not appear to flower at the same time. Data from herbarium specimens indicate that Hispaniolan populations are reproductively isolated. The calyptrate corollas of the staminate flowers, small fruits with adherent endocarps, and convex outer walls of the abaxial epidermal cells distinguish C. riualisfrom all other species. (S. Zona. 1995)/Palmweb. |
Culture
Water Requirements: Abundant water. Sun Requirements: Full sun or light shade.
Comments and Curiosities
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REASONS FOR CURRENT STATUS: Deforestation for road construction and pastures, flash floods, and fires are the most serious threats. Coffee plantations, pastures, and other deforested areas surround the largest population site (2OO individuals) around the River Camuy. Because of the deforestation, these areas are susceptible to flash floods and new seeds and seedlings are frequently washed away and/or stream banks are eroded. A large segment of the adult population around northern River Camuy was destroyed during road construction on the east side of the river. At the oldest population site around Quebrada Collazo, sugar cane fires have killed several plants. This area also consists of deforested pasture land, and cattle may eat or trample on new tree seedlings. Periodic floods also occur in the area. MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION: The Quebrada Collazo area is owned by private individuals. Part of the area is owned by a family which has protected the plants on their property for many years. Sections of the other two natural populations are both publically and privately owned. In 1979, the Puerto Rican Department of Natural Resources issued a directive to protect these palm trees; however, as yet, this species has not been added to the Commonwealth list. One population each has been introduced into the Rio Abajo Commonwealth Forest and in Camp Guajataca. Although the introduction effort inside the Forest was successful, it is unknown whether the plants will reproduce and colonize the area naturally (Department of the Interior 199O). STATUS: Threatened, Federal Register, February 6, 199O. Phenology: Data from Puerto Rico are scarce but indicate that this species flowers in April. Fruit collections are known from May and August. In Hispaniola, flowers have been collected in October, December through February, and April. Fruits have been encountered in April, August, and November. (S. Zona. 1995)/Palmweb. Conservation: The existence of. C. rioalis outside of Puerto Rico has some bearing on its conservation status. It has been listed as Threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlike Service since February, 1990. In Puerto Rico, this palm is confined to a small area, the type locality, between Lares and San Sebasti5n. Additional populations are said to exist in nearby watersheds (e.g., the Tanama River gorge [Little and Woodbury 1980]), but I have seen no specimens. Its continued protection in Puerto Rico is recommended. In Hispaniola, this species is found over a wide area from Haiti to eastern Dominican Republic. It does not appear threatened in Hispaniola. (S. Zona. 1995)/Palmweb. Uses: Leaves are used for thatch. (S. Zona. 1995)/Palmweb. Calyptronoma rivalis grows along stream banks in the semi-evergreen forests of the karst region in Puerto Rico and can reach up to 12 meters in height (USFWS 1992). The palm has dioecious flowers that bloom twice a year and produce an abundant amount of small reddish fruits (Vivaldi and Woodbury 1981). This palm is threatened by flooding caused by deforestation, agricultural expansion and rural development. |
- IMAGE GALLERY
External Links
- Glossary of Palm Terms
- MODERN BOTANICAL LATIN
- "Just To Be Clear"
- http://www.fws.gov/southeast/5yearreviews/5yearreviews/PalmadeManaca20090922.pdf
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).
Zona, S.1995. A Revision of Calyptronoma (Arecaceae). Principes 39: 140-151.
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.