Lepidocaryum tenue

Lepidocaryum (leh-pih-doh-kahr-EE-uhm) tenue (teh-NOO-eh)
Reserva Otraparte, Colombia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Lepidocaryum (leh-pih-doh-kahr-EE-uhm) Species: tenue (teh-NOO-eh)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
America
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Costapalmate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
irapay, pui

Habitat and Distribution

Southern America: Brazil; Brazil North, Brazil West-Central, Northern South America;

Reserva Otraparte, Colombia. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

Guyana, Venezuela, Western South America Colombia, and Peru. Shady, moist rainforests. It is spread throughout Brazil in the region of Amazonas, Venezuela and the wetter parts of Colombia, Guyana and Peru, it is palm undergrowth found in lowland rainforest tropical habitat, the leaves are used often as straw.

Description

This is a small, clustering, palmate palm, with widely spaced leaflets, and very deeep splits going to the centre of the leaf.

Trunks to 2.5 cm in diameter, not exceeding 3.5 meters in height. The small leaves are costapalmate and petioles are born 60 cm long. Each leaf is divided in half, and each half is, in turn, divided into 2-11 narrow leaflets . It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on different plants, both with inflorescences interfoliar, branched. Producing an oblong or ovoid fruit, usually with a seeds, red-brown, covered with scales. Editing by edric.

Culture

Warm, sheltered and moist. It is very rare in cultivation. Cold Hardiness Zone: 10b

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: generic name combines the Greek words for "flake" and "nut", which refers to the scaly fruit. Specific epithet from the Latin for "slim, slender."

Phenology: Flowers March to April, and from September to October.

Uses: Although most Indians in the Rio Negro basin consider the leaves of the diminutive palm Lepidocaryum tenue the best thatch for their malocas, they often employ other materials of shorter durability. The reason for their occasional reluctance to gather Lepidocaryum tenue lies in the elaborate rituals by the witch doctor which are necessary before the young men go into the gloomy parts of the jungle to disturb the palm. (forest spirit). The main resource for thatching material was the leaves from the small, understory, terra firme forest palm Lepidocaryum tenue var. gracile. This palm has more dureble leaves (5-10 years) than the most common alternatively used palm Pholidostachys synanthera (2-4 years), which is also an understory terra firme species. Medicinal and cosmetic - The roots are used against headache, throat, and malaria; the fruits are used to treat dry skin and fever. Construction - The leaves are widely used in the roof of the houses. Tools and utensils - The seeds are used for necklaces. Food - Occasionally ripe fruits are consumed. For Sale - The small leaves are sold, or used for the manufacture of "crisnejas" (sections of thatching) for direct sales companies.

The Irapay is a small palm tree about 4 meters high. Its scientific name is " Lepidocaryum tenuous "and grows in the undergrowth forming large groups of plants or "manchales "also called" Irapayales ". The plant has many of Irapay " tallos" purposes, of coffee-colored and has 10 to 15 leaves. The Irapay produces spathes, in which there are small flowers, yellowish white in color. taking an orange-red or yellow-red. Each fruit contains a seed. Irapay grows in forests with no flood for long periods, but on sandy, clay soil, with good drainage. This is a shade palm, It does not tolerate direct sunlight.