| Field notes | Solitary tree on terra firme. Stilt-roots numerous, to 50 cm long and 4 cm wide, black with a dense covering of a ferruginous substance, numerous globose lenticels with a point, adventitious roots often appearing from these points. Stem 9 m long, 14 cm wide basally to 13.5 cm distally, internodes 17 cm basally to 19 cm distally, leaf-scars 4 cm wide, brown, basally covered with lichens, surface with small longitudinal splits. Leaves 5; leaf-sheath 205 cm long, ca 40 cm wide basally, sheathing for the first 145 cm, forming a crown shaft, crown shaft "bulky" from developing buds, green with ferruginous tomentum basally, the rest is blueish-dewed green smooth; petiole 15 cm long, 4.5 cm wide, green with a dark ferruginous indument; rachis 363 cm long, green with a ferruginous tomentum. Blade 380 cm long, 210 cm wide; pinnae 2 X 52, reduplicate, inserted one plane, 50 X 3.5 cm basally, 97 X 11 cm in the middle, 38 cm long at the apex, linear with margins entire proximally to erose distaly, dark green above, green below, major veins yellow below. Inflorescence buds borne inside the crown shaft in groups of 7, of which only 1-2 develop into full maturity, the middle ones tend to be largest, the buds are later exposed, as the leaves fall. One group at each of the 5 upper nodes below the crown shaft observed on this specimen. Infructescence 2, bending, prophyll 12 cm long, 6.5 cm wide, split open abaxially, acuminate, acumen 2 cm long, dark green covered with a reddish brown tomentum, peduncular bracts 5, the first 2 and the last one deciduous, spatulate, chartaceous, acuminate, acumen 1 cm long; peduncle 34 cm long, 3.5 cm in diam., round, exposed parts green with ferruginous tomentum; rachis 7 cm long, green with ferruginous tomentum; remnants of apical meristem visible; rachillae 5, 31 cm long, fruits densely aggregated. Fruits 2.8 cm long, 2.2 cm wide, reverse cone-shaped with persistent floral bracts at the base, yellow basally to green apically, covered with a dense yellow to ferruginous tomentum. Staminate inflorescence; prophyll 4.5 cm long, 3 cm wide, splits open ab- and adaxially, green with reddish brown tomentum; peduncular bracts 5, the first 2 and the last one deciduous, the persistent ones 23 cm long, 18 cm wide, spatulate, green with a brown mealy pubescence, yellow inside; peduncle 18 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, round, exposed parts yellow with brown tomentum; rachis 3 cm long, yellow, no remnants of apical meristem; rachillae 5, 35 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide, flattened basally, twining, denuded of male flowers. Use: Leaves are very durable and are used as roofing material. Stems are used for floors. Fruits are eaten when ripe even though they are very hard, according to Maclovio Anapa & Vicente Tapuyo. Gualte (Spanish), Ya'n-chi (Cayapa) |
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