| Field notes | Cespitose. Stem to 5 m tall, 1.5 - 2 cm diam., nodes prominent, 3 cm apart at the top of stem, internodes green to brown and smooth. Leaves 7 - 8, spreading. Sheaths forming a crownshaft to 50 cm long, individual sheaths 34 cm long, green smooth, slightly swollen, closed to the top. Petiole 23 - 28 cm long, rounded below, flat above, margin blunt. Rachis 102 cm long, rounded below, ridged above, green smooth. Pinnae 19 per side, basal and apical pair wider than the rest, the remainder more or less equal, basal pinna 44 x 8 cm, middle ones 41 x 3 cm, apical ones 28 x 12 cm. Inflorescences infrfoliar, pointing up at a 45 degree angle to the stem. Peduncle 3 - 6 cm long, abruptly narrowing at insertion of prophyll and peduncular bract. Prophyll green, smooth, caducous, 22 cm long. Peduncular bract green, smooth, caducous, 41 cm long, pointed. Rachis 6 - 10 cm long. Rachillae 31, spreading to all sides, 21 - 33 cm long on different inflorescences from the same clump. The inflorescence creamy white at anthesis, rachis and rachillae becoming bright red as the fruits ripen. Immature fruits green, first assymetrically elongate, becoming ovoid. Siona: De-de-hueoco (Victoriano) Uses: Palmhart, chewed so the teeth turn black. They are then protected against rotting. This plant is considered as different from Hyospathe elegans No,62059 by the locals. |
This record