Pholidostachys synanthera
| Pholidostachys (foh-LEE-doh-stahk-iss) synanthera (sihn-nahn-TEHR-ah) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Jenero Herrera, Peru. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb. | |||||||
| Scientific Classification | |||||||
| |||||||
| Synonyms | |||||||
|
| |||||||
| Native Continent | |||||||
 | |||||||
| Morphology | |||||||
| |||||||
| Culture | |||||||
|
| |||||||
| Survivability index | |||||||
|
| |||||||
| Common names | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Contents
Habitat and Distribution
Brazil North, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Description
Stem 3.3 (1.0-6.0) m long, 5.6 (3.0-22.0) cm in diameter, solitary. Leaves 15 (4-27) per stem; sheaths 32.8 (15.0-74.0) cm long; petioles 70.1 (24.0-136.0) cm long; rachises 84.0 (48.0-124.0) cm long, 8.1 (3.6-12.6) mm diameter; pinnae 10(4-18) per side of rachis; basal pinna 49.6(26.5-67.5) cm, long, 1.7(0.2-7.6) cm wide, forming an angle of 50 (27-72)° with the rachis; apical pinna 45.0 (23.0-65.0) cm long, 10.5 (2.5-22.5) cm wide, forming an angle of 15 (9-24)° with the rachis. Inflorescences branched 1-2 orders, with a well developed peduncle and rachis, and several rachillae, these spreading at anthesis; prophylls and peduncular bracts woody, not covering rachillae at anthesis; prophylls 38.0 (25.5-55.0) cm long; peduncular bracts 32.1 (19.0-41.0) cm long, inserted 8.6 (5.0-12.5) cm above the prophyll; peduncles 44.8 (20.0-70.0) cm long, 11.4 (5.3-19.1) mm diameter; rachilla 12 (4-25), 28.5 (14.0-56.0) cm long, 6.1 (3.7-10.3) mm diameter; proximal lips of flower pits regularly shaped, rounded, not covering pits before anthesis, recurved fruits scarcely compressed, ellipsoid, with obscure longitudinal ridges, 14.3 (10.2-17.7) mm long, 8.4 (6.1-10.5) mm in diameter. (Henderson, A.J. 2012)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.
Some differences are noted between individuals from the two sides of the Andes. Western plants are very large, with the stem to 12 m tall and 8-15 cm in diameter, and their inflorescences have a long peduncle, almost no rachis, and simple branches. Eastern plants are smaller, typically with the stem less than 5 m tall and only 5-8 cm in diameter, and their inflorescences have a shorter peduncle, a 15-40 cm long rachis, and the lower branches usually bifurcate. (Borchsenius, F. 1998)/Palmweb.
| read more |
|---|
|
Pholidostachys synanthera is the most widespread species in the genus. Subspecific variation. There are three geographically separate populations of Pholidostachys synanthera. One occurs at 146(90-250) m elevation in the western Amazon region; the second on eastern Andean slopes at 1040(400-1620) m elevation; and the third on the Cordilleras Central and Oriental in Colombia at 1206(550-1750) m elevation. Only three variables (rachis length, number of divisions, apical pinna angle) are significantly different between the two Andean populations (t-test, P <0.05), and they are here treated as one. Between this expanded Andean population and the Amazon population, 11 variables (stem height, stem diameter, leaf number, rachis length, rachis width, number of divisions, basal pinna length, basal pinna angle, apical pinna length, apical pinna width, rachillae width) are significantly different (t-test, P <0.05). Most of these variables are from stems and leaves, and only one from inflorescences. Based on these results, Amazon and Andean populations are recognized as subspecies (subspp. robusta, synanthera). (Henderson, A.J. 2012)/Palmweb. |
Culture
Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b
Comments and Curiosities
| read more |
|---|
|
There are two subspecies; 1.) Pholidostachys synanthera subsp. robusta; Brazil North, Colombia, and Peru. From 0°34N'-6°28'S and 68°46'-75°50'W in the western Amazon region of Colombia, Peru, and Brazil at 146 (90-200) m elevation in lowland rainforest, Stems 2.6 (1.0-6.0) m long. Leaf rachises 74.1 (48.0-91.0) cm long; pinnae 7 (4-12) per side of rachis. 2.) Pholidostachys synanthera subsp. synanthera; Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. From 7°19'N-13°31'S and 70°07'-78°57'W in the Cordilleras Central and Oriental in Colombia and eastern Andean slopes in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru at 1064 (400-1750) m elevation in lowland or montane rainforest, Stem 3.9 (1.8-6.0) m long. Leaf rachises 92.2 (55.0-124.0) cm long; pinnae 12 (7-18) per side of rachis. Subspecific variation. Regression shows there are significant associations between elevation and one stem, four leaf, and one inflorescence variables. Squared multiple R for the regression of stem height on elevation is 0.30, sheath length 0.88, number of pinnae 0.42, basal pinna width 0.37, apical pinna length 0.69, and rachilla width 0.13. Values for these variables decrease with elevation, except for number of pinnae and rachillae width which increase. The northernmost population of subsp. synanthera occurs in the Cordilleras Central and Oriental in Colombia and has 13-17 rachillae per inflorescence. The northernmost specimen (Soejarto 2743) is tentatively included here; it is unusual in having only 4 rachillae. One specimen (Callejas 4221) appears to be a mixed collection, with the fruits (excluded from this study) belonging to P. sanluisensis. Along eastern Andean slopes in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, subsp. synanthera occurs in scattered localities. There do not appear to be any differences between these populations although sample size in small in some of them. The gaps between them may anyway be collecting artifacts. In Amazonas and Cajamarca, Peru, there is extreme variation. Two specimens (Díaz 8093, Rodríguez 1013) are the smallest seen with narrow pinnae and slender inflorescences with the rachillae 19.0-22.5 cm long and 4.0-4.3 mm in diameter. Another specimen (Campos 4243), from less than 40 km away, has the some of the largest rachillae seen in the subspecies, 34.0 cm long and 9.6 mm diameter. Other specimens from this region are more usual in size. This kind of variation is reminiscent of that seen in Geonoma poeppigiana from the same region (Henderson 2011). It is also of interest that Pholidostachys amazonensis occurs in this same region, and only differs from subsp. synanthera in its spicate inflorescence. (Henderson, A.J. 2012)/Palmweb. Uses: The leaves are used for thatching houses, and can last up to 4-5 years. The whole plant, is used to extract salt. Used medicinally to cure burns: the base of the rachis is carnised, rasped and placed on the affected area. Occasionally ripe fruits and palm hearts are consumed. The Shuar thatch their roofs with the leaves. The eat the plant´s apical meristems (hearts) and make ayampakus from the leaves. Birds, especially pavas ( Cracidae spp.), eat the fruits. |
- IMAGE GALLERY
Photo by Dr. Andrew J. Henderson/Palmweb.
Jenero Herrera, Peru. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Jenero Herrera, Peru. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Peru. Photo-L.H. Bailey Hortorium
Photo by Dr. Robin Foster
Harvest of Palmiche, Peruvian Amazon. Photo: ebscohost.com
Harvest of Palmiche, Peruvian Amazon. Photo: ebscohost.com
Harvest of Palmiche, Peruvian Amazon. Photo: ebscohost.com
D. Proximal lips of flower pits regularly shaped, rounded, not covering pits before anthesis, recurved (left P. occidentalis, Henderson 138; right P. synanthera subsp. synanthera, Henderson 161). Scale bar = 1 cm.
F. Fruits of P. synanthera subsp. synanthera (Couvreur 119). Scale bar = 1 cm.
Image Text: Dr. A.J. Henderson.
External Links
- Glossary of Palm Terms
- MODERN BOTANICAL LATIN
- "Just To Be Clear"
- A revision of Pholidostachys - by Dr. ANDREW J. HENDERSON
References
Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.
Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos, edric.
Special thanks to Palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos, edric.
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).
Borchsenius, F. 1998. Manual to the palms of Ecuador. AAU Reports 37. Department of Systematic Botany, University of Aarhus, Denmark in collaboration with Pontificia Universidad Catalica del Ecuador.
Henderson, A.J. 2012. A revision of Pholidostachys (Arecaceae).
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.
