Syagrus coronata

Syagrus (sih-AHG-ruhs) coronata (kor-oh-NAH-tah)
Minas Gerais, Brazil. Photo by Dr. Kelen Soares.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Syagrus (sih-AHG-ruhs) Species: coronata (kor-oh-NAH-tah)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
America
Morphology
Habit: Solitary Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Licuri Palm, Ouricury Palm.

Habitat and Distribution

Syagrus coronata is found in Brazil Northeast, Brazil Southeast. The Licuri Palm,

Minas Gerais, Brazil. Photo by Dr. Kelen Soares.

Syagrus coronata, is a species of palm tree that plays an important role in the diets of tropical rainforest animals. It is native to eastern Brazil, ranging from the southern part of the state of Pernambuco, into the state of Bahia, south to the Jequitinhonha River in the state of Minas Gerais.

Description

Syagrus coronata reaches 3 to 12 m (9.8 to 39 ft) tall with a crown of attractive, arching, semi-plumose leaves. The leaf bases are persitant, and covered in a white indument, and arranged in roughly 5 spiral rows. The blooms are bright yellow, and the plants bear fruit for most of the year. Licuri palm nuts are the main food source of the Lear's Macaw, making up around 95% of their diet. These nuts can grow to be one inch (2.5 cm) in width. Editing by edric.

Culture

Grown as both an ornamental, and for the oil which can be extracted from its seeds, and the wax from its leaves. Easily grown in a sunny position in the tropics and sub-tropics, even on calcarous soils.

Comments and Curiosities

"This is probably one of the more drought and wind tolerant Syagrus species and one of the few prone to rot if overwatered. It is often used in xeriscape landscaping and is a very attractive species- has a relatively sparse crown of long, arching leaves with stiff, plumosely arranged leaflets that are slight bluish to pale green. The trunk often is ornamentally sculptured with a spiral pattern of old leaf scars (though eventually these fall off and reveal a standard smooth trunk without much in the way of rings). Like all Syagrus, this species has no crownshaft. My palm was done well but is planted in pure clay and browntips a lot- some struggling through long, cold, wet winters in that sloggy soil. Still, pretty hardy. No frost damaged down to 25F." (Geoff Stein)

Conservation: The destruction of small seedlings by cattle poses a threat to the plants, primarily through the destruction of concentrated groves. Those groves are vital to the Lear's Macaw.

• IMAGE GALLERY
• 

  Vero Beach, Florida.

• 

  New Caledonia, photo by Ben

• 

  New Caledonia, photo by Ben

• 

  Morro do Chapeu, Brazil. Photo by Dr. Simon Mayo

• 

  Morro do Chapeu, Brazil. Photo by Dr. Simon Mayo

• 

  Morro do Chapeu, Brazil. Photo by Dr. Simon Mayo

• 

  Morro do Chapeu, Brazil. Photo by Dr. Simon Mayo

• 

  Morro do Chapeu, Brazil. Photo by Dr. Simon Mayo

• 

  California. Photo by Geoff Stein

• 

  California. Photo by Geoff Stein

• 

  California. Photo by Geoff Stein

• 

  Hawaii. Photo by Geoff Stein

• 

  Photo-National Tropical Botanicl Garden

• 

  Photo-National Tropical Botanicl Garden

• 

  Photo-National Tropical Botanicl Garden

• 

  Photo-National Tropical Botanicl Garden

• 

  Miami, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Photo-R.A. Howard. ©Smithsonian Institution

• 

  Miami, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Photo-R.A. Howard. ©Smithsonian Institution

• 

  Bahia, Brazil. Photo by Alex Popovkin

• 

  In habitat. Photo-University of Florida-IFAS

• 

  In habitat. Photo-University of Florida-IFAS

• 

  Photo by Tony Huntington

• 

  Photo by Tony Huntington

• 

  At Len's place. Vista, CA. Photo by Troy Donovan

• 

  Floribunda Nursery, Hawaii. Photo by Jack Sayers.

• 

  Marco & Gerardo Herrero's Farms, 2008 costa Rica. 2008 IPS Biennial. Photo by Ryan D. Gallivan.

• 

  Minas Gerais, Brazil. Photo by Dr. Kelen Soares.

• 

  Minas Gerais, Brazil. Photo by Dr. Kelen Soares.

• 

  Minas Gerais, Brazil. Photo by Dr. Kelen Soares.

• 

External Links

• Glossary of Palm Terms
• MODERN BOTANICAL LATIN
• "Just To Be Clear"
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke6uxzrWeFQ
• http://www.palms.org/palmsjournal/2004/vol48n1p43-49.pdf
• http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=984.0

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.

Back to Palm Encyclopedia