Acrocomia antioquensis

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Acrocomia (ak-roh-koh-MEE-ah)
antioquensis
(ahn-tee-oh-KWEHN-sis)
Acrocomia antioquensis2.jpg
Scientific Classification
Genus: Acrocomia (ak-roh-koh-MEE-ah)
Species:
antioquensis
(ahn-tee-oh-KWEHN-sis)
Synonyms
Acrocomia aculeata, Acrocomia antiguana, Acrocomia belizensis, Acrocomia christopherensis, Acrocomia chunta, Acrocomia erisacantha, Acrocomia fusiformis, Acrocomia glaucophylla, Acrocomia grenadana, Acrocomia hospes.
Native Continent
America
America.gif
Morphology
Habit: Solitary
Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
acrocome, amankayo, bocaiuva, catey, cayara, cayiete, cobrush, coco baboso, coco de catarro, coquito.

Habitat and Distribution

Acrocomia antioquensis is found in Mexico, West Indies, Central America, and South America.

In habitat.

Description

Genus Acrocomia: Stems solitary, robust , armed , covered with persistent leaf bases or bare. Leaves: petioles armed with needlelike prickles; petiole margins unarmed ; blade pinnate, armed with prickles; plication reduplicate ; segments regularly arranged, apices acute. Inflorescences axillary within crown of leaves, paniculate , arching , becoming pendulous in fruit, with 1 order of branching; prophyll short; peduncular bract woody, prickly, splitting abaxially, curling downward; rachis armed with prickles. Flowers unisexual , sessile, borne in triads of 1 pistillate flower flanked by 2 staminate flowers , staminate flowers borne singly along distal portions of rachillae. Staminate flowers: sepals 3, free ; petals 3, valvate , leathery, basally connate , leathery; stamens 6, free; anthers rectangular; pistillode with 3 minute lobes . Pistillate flowers: sepals 3, imbricate, free; petals 3, imbricate, basally connate or nearly free; staminodes well -developed, bearing short, sterile anthers; pistils 1, large, tomentose ; ovules 3; styles indistinct; stigmas 3. Fruits drupes, globose ; exocarp brownish green, thin, pubescent near fruit apex [bristly ]; mesocarp fleshy , oily; endocarp thick, bony, with 3 equatorial germination pores . Seeds irregular; endosperm homogeneous ; embryo lateral ; eophyll undivided [2-cleft], linear-lanceolate. nx = 15. Editing by edric.

Culture

The seeds are a source of oil, and the leaves a source of fiber. The flowers are said to be pectoral.

Comments and Curiosities

This is a tillering palm, it exhibits saxophone style root growth (it has a heel), keep top third of heel above soil elevation!.

Although as many as 30 species of Acrocomia have been described, a recent study (A. Henderson et al. 1995) recognized only two, A. aculeata (Jacquin) Loddiges (including A. totai Martius) and A. hassleri (Barbosa Rodrigues) W. J. Hahn. I maintain A. aculeata and A. totai as two separate species, both of which are cultivated in Florida, where the latter species is naturalized . A general comparison of these two species was made by B . Peterson (1991) in which he noted that the eophyll of A. aculeata is 2-cleft and that of A. totai is undivided. He also found several subtle differences between these species when mature . For example, the trunk spines of A. totai are ca. 12--13 cm and those of A. aculeata are ca. 6--10 cm. Clearly, additional study is warranted to resolve the prickly systematic problems in this genus.



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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