| Field notes | Caespitose palm, 5.6 m tall, dominant in some parts of the laguna. Stem 4 m long, diam 5.5 cm, grey- brown; internodes 2 cm long, furrowed, lower part armed with black spines, to 5.5 cm long, pointing straight outward and downward. Leaves 4; sheath 47 cm encircling the stem for 8 cm, outside green to brown, heavily armed with flattened, black spines, to 6.5 cm long, pointing in various directions; petiole 12 cm long, green, lower side and margins heavily armed with flattened, hlack spines, to 6.5 cm long, upper side with few, minute, black spines; rachis 112 cm long, green, upper .side and margins with flattened, black spines to 6 cm long, pointing in various directions, lower side spineless; pinnae 50- 51 per side, inserted in groups of 1-3-4-3-4-3-5-2-4- 2-4-3-4-2-2-1-1- 1, measured from base to apex, inserted at different angels, spanning ahout 90°, the apical 1/3 of the pinnae drooping. Infructescence interfoliar; prophyll bicarinate, 10.5 cm long, 4 cm broad, leather like, splitting up abaxially for 6 cm and adaxially for 4.5 cm, the apical half with appressed, black spines, 0.5 cm long; bract inserted 0.3 cm above the prophyll, 28 cm long, encircling the peduncle for 8 cm, largest circumference 20 cm, splitting up laterally, brown with a little green, covered with black spines, to 2.2 cm long; peduncle 12 cm long, brown, densely covered with minute soft black spines; rachis 6.5 cm long, green with brown pubescence; rachillae 27, to 11 cm long, longest at the base of the rachis, green with brown pubescence. Fruits green, fig-shaped, with a pointed apex. According to Sr. Maximilliano Cox, Nueva Rocafuerte the fruits are used as bait for fishing NV: Chonchilla del rio. |
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