Syagrus vermicularis
Syagrus (see-AHG-ruhs) vermicularis (vehr-mihk-oo-LAHR-ihs) | |||||||
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Açailandia, Maranhão, Brazil. Photo by Dr. LARRY R. NOBLICK. | |||||||
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Contents
Habitat and Distribution
Brazil, state of Maranhão (midwestern portion) near Açailandia and Imperatriz, Maranhão, state of Para (at least in the mid-eastern part) near Serra Carajás and the Rio Paraupebas and probably the northern part of the state of Tocantins. In pre-Amazonian seasonally wet, marginal or secondary forests on terra firme with deep lateritic clay soils on rolling or steep hilly slopes at about 100–200 m. elevation. Often growing in open pastures. Also seen on lower slopes adjacent to river floodplains. Other palms present were Oenocarpus bataua, Oenocarpus disticus, Attalea maripa (Maxmiliana maripa) with Euterpe oleracea in the low lying areas. PHENOLOGY: Many of the trees in September had immature developing fruits. A small number had mature fruits and fewer still had flowers. Fortunately, I found a few sporadic inflorescences, but all contained only male flowers. I found this initially perplexing, but after growing them at MBC, it has been observed that the first few inflorescences of young palms do frequently produce only male flowers and often these flower outside their normal season. However, it must be noted that female flower bearing inflorescences were observed opening at MBC in September. (L. Noblick, Syagrus vermicularis, a Fascinating New Palm from Northern Brazil. 2004)/Palmweb.Description
Solitary palm tree. Stem erect, 10 m tall, about 12–20 cm in diam., basally with a large root boss to about 45 cm in diam., distally stem very conspicuously ringed with oblique leaf scars, new internodes densely covered with white caducous wooly indument; internode about 9–17 cm long. Leaves about 12–15 in crown, spirally arranged and spreading; leaf sheath plus petiole about 90–100 cm long × about 18–20 cm wide at the base, composed of finely-netted matting of fibers breaking away easily and leaving a finely fibrous margin on the apparent petiole, apparent petiole adaxially channeled and abaxially rounded and covered adaxially with wooly caducous indument; true petiole 6–8 cm long, about 3.1–4.4 cm wide and 1.5–2.2 cm thick at the base of the leaf blade; rachis 2.2–2.5 m long with about 100–140 pairs of leaflets distributed in clusters of 2–3 along the rachis in various divergent planes; middle leaflets about 80–90 cm long × 3–4 cm wide. Infloresence interfoliar, androgynous, erect in bud, later horizontal; peduncle 60–61 cm long × 4 cm wide × 2 cm thick; peduncular bract about 90–103 cm long including a beak 4–5 cm and the expanded or inflated part of the bract measuring ca. 55–65 × 27–29 cm and with a perimeter 33–37 cm, 5–9 mm thick, often separating from the peduncle before the fruits reach full maturity; rachis 49–52 cm long; rachillae about 70–100, apical ones about 54 cm long and basal ones about 118 cm, a major part of the distal portion of the rachillae devoid of any flowers, sterile and folded back and forth on themselves like dried noodles or worms. Flowers bright yellow drying white or cream-colored.read more |
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Staminate flowers near the base about 9–10 mm long, sessile; sepals 3, distinct, triangular, imbricate but briefly connate at base, acute, membranaceous, glabrous; petals 3 distinct, unequal, obovate, valvate, fleshy, glabrous, with inconspicuous venation, about 8–9 × 4 mm, obtuse to broadly acute; stamens 6, distinct, 4–5 mm long, with filaments 1.5 mm long; pistillode trifid, less than 0.5 mm long. Pistillate flowers, conical, sessile; sepals glabrous, without visible venation, sclerenchymous or fleshy, imbricate, about 9–10 × 8–9 mm, acute, faintly keeled at tip; petals 3, distinct, imbricate at base, valvate at apex with valvate tip about 2–3 mm long, triangular, indistinctly nerved, glabrous, 11 × 8–9 mm, acute; gynoecium of receptive flower ovoid, 9 × 7 mm, covered in wooly tomentum, persisting on the apex of the fruit; stigmas 3, about 2 mm long; staminodal ring about 3 mm long, undulate with ca. 6 undulations and three small residual teeth, one on every other undulation. Fruits orange when mature, 5–6 × 4 cm, ovoid; cupule (persistent perianth) dark brown, about 2 cm in diam. × about 1 cm high; petals slightly longer than sepals; staminodial ring truncate, about 3 mm high × 10 mm in diam.; epicarp smooth for most part but tomentose at apex; mesocarp fleshy, fibrous or pulpy remaining as a fibrous mat over endocarp; endocarp ovoid, 4.5–5 × about 3.5–4 cm, about 6 mm thick, hard, bony, brown to red-brown, apex with a distinctive, trilobed protuberance or beak, interior smooth, trivittate, slightly triangular in cross-section, outer surface nearly smooth, with small fibers, only slightly pitted, pores 3(–4) nearly even with surface, sutures visible especially at apex. Seed 1, elliptical, 3 × 2.5–3.2 cm; endosperm homogeneous. Germination remote tubular with cotyledonary tube penetrating deeply before sending up a plumule; eophyll simple, lanceolate. (L. Noblick, Syagrus vermicularis, a Fascinating New Palm from Northern Brazil. 2004)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.
A study of the leaf anatomy reveals that just below the upper leaf epidermis, there is a continuous one-cell thick layer of sclerenchyma fibers that is present in more or less all Amazonian species and in a few Atlantic coastal species of Syagrus. The Amazonian Syagrus are S. sancona, S. inajai, S. orinocensis, S. stenopetala, S. cocoides, S. smithii and S. stratincola. The closely related Syagrus from the Atlantic Forest are S. botryophora and S. pseudococos. Seeds collected in September 1994 and sown before the end of the month started germinating shortly after mid-October and continued until February of 1995. No plants resulted from the holotype collection, MBC accession number 94694, due to its immature fruit. However, another more mature MBC seed accession, 94690, collected from the same Açailandia population is represented at MBC by 25 plants. Additional seed was collected and donated by Bernard Fischer in 1996 and is represented in the garden by two plants, accession 96364. Bernard’s collection came from a specimen that had four instead of the usual three basal pores on the endocarp. In summary, Syagrus vermicularis is easily distinguished from other Syagrus by long, sterile, strongly folded inflorescence tips, by a peduncular bract that frequently is shed before the inflorescence reaches full maturity (not yet observed in any other species of Syagrus); prominent trilobed endocarp beak (seen only occasionally in S. botryophora); and the young attractive trunk covered (at least initially) with a dense white cauducous tomentum. (L. Noblick, Syagrus vermicularis, a Fascinating New Palm from Northern Brazil. 2004)/Palmweb. |
Culture
Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a
Comments and Curiosities
Etymology: The specicic epithet from the Latin; (vermicularis = worm-like) refers to the vermicelli (noodles) like rachillae.
Conservation: Syagrus vermicularis is threatened by the heavy lumbering practices, that are reducing the regional forests to pasture. However, this palm species seems to thrive in secondary growth and farmers often maintain the trees in their pastures.
Discovered only in 1994 by Syagrus expert Larry Noblick in the northeastern Brazilian province of Maranhão, this medium-sized Syagrus develops a slender, greenish, ringed trunk to about 10 m (33 ft.) tall that holds a rather open crown of beautifully arching, slightly plumose leaves with deep glossy green leaflets that are drooping towards their tip. The characteristic inflorescence is released from a large, woody bract and has countless, long yellow flowering branches that are curiously twisted and zigzagging, somewhat reminiscent of a package of ramen noodles. In cultivation it is still rarely seen but has proven to be easy to grow and very adaptable to all tropical and many warm temperate climates. (RPS.com)
External Links
- Glossary of Palm Terms
- MODERN BOTANICAL LATIN
- "Just To Be Clear"
- Syagrus vermicularis, a Fascinating New Palm from Northern Brazil. Dr. LARRY R. NOBLICK, Montgomery Botanical Center.
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).
L. Noblick, Syagrus vermicularis, a Fascinating New Palm from Northern Brazil. 2004
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.