Bactris oligocarpa

Bactris (BAHK-triss) oligocarpa (oh-lee-go-KAHR-pah)
French Guiana. Photo-ti palm.fr
Scientific Classification
Genus: Bactris (BAHK-triss) Species: oligocarpa (oh-lee-go-KAHR-pah)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
America
Morphology
Habit: Solitary & clustering, occasionally caespitose. Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Central and eastern Amazon region in French Guiana, Suriname, and Brazil (Amapá, Amazonas, Pará), lowland rain forest on terrafirme, at 50-700 m elevation.

French Guiana. Photo-ti palm.fr

Undergrowth of rainforests, usually on well-drained, rather dry, sandy soils.

Description

Stems solitary or occasionally cespitose, 0.2-1.5 m tall, 0.8-1 cm in diam., occasionally short and subterranean. Leaves 4-15 per crown; leaf spines scattered, black, terete, to 3 cm long, few on sheath and lateral surfaces of petiole, absent from rachis, or occasionally spines absent; sheath 5-15 cm long; ocrea to 8 cm long; petiole 22-50 cm long; rachis 8-30 cm long; blade usually simple or with 2-4 pinnae per side, then the apical pinna much wider than the others, sigmoid; middle pinnae 20-33 x 3-8 cm. Inflorescences interfoliar, occasionally all staminate; peduncle 6-13 cm long, straight, not spiny; prophyll 5-7 cm long; peduncular bract 10-16 cm long, sparsely covered with spines or spines absent; rachis absent; rachilla 1, 2-3 cm long, glabrous at anthesis; triads regularly arranged; staminate flowers 5-6 mm long, persistent; sepal lobes 2 mm long; petals 5-6 mm long; stamens 6; pistillode absent; pistillate flowers 3-4 mm long; calyx tubular, to 3 mm long; corolla tubular, to 3 mm long; staminodial ring adnate to the corolla, to 2 mm long; fruits 1.7-2 x 1-1.5 cm, widely ovoid, purple-black; mesocarp juicy; endocarp ellipsoid, the sterile pores displaced longitudinally, the fertile pore displaced latitudinally; endocarp fibers free, numerous, with juice sacs attached; fruiting perianth with short calyx and much longer, irregularly-lobed corolla, with staminodial ring./Palmweb. Editing by edric.

Bactris oligocarpa is diagnosed by its 1, 2-3 cm long rachilla; 5-6 mm long staminate flowers; pistillate flowers (and fruits) with staminodial ring; and ovoid, purple-black fruits./Palmweb.

Culture

Requires a shady position. Grows in the wild on well-drained, rather dry, sandy soils.

Comments and Curiosities

Uses: The apical bud is made into a decoction for treating bronchitis.