Aphandra

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Aphandra
Aphandra natalia imported from iNaturalist photo 61605432 on 12 November 2023.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Subfamily: Ceroxyloideae
Tribe: Phytelepheae
Genus: Aphandra
Barfod
Species:
A. natalia
Binomial name
Aphandra natalia

Aphandra is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the palm family native to the Amazon rainforest vegetation in South America (Ecuador, Brazil, and Peru). Its only species is Aphandra natalia, sometimes called mastodon palm or fiber palm, and is used by indigenous peoples in the construction of brooms and other products. [1] This plant is commercially exploited for its edible fruits, and for its leaf sheath and petiole fibers. This fiber is almost equal to the fiber extracted from Attalea funifera and Leopoldinia piassaba , which is called piassava.

Contents

The genus name is a combination of Ammandra and Phytelephas , two closely related palm genera, and the epithet "natalia" honors Natalie Uhl, modern palm taxonomist.

Description

Aphandra natalia grows from single trunks, reaching over 12 m in height, being gray to tan in color. These trees usually remain covered in the bases of old leaves giving them a seeming trunk diameter of nearly 1 meter, however the actual trunk size when cleaned of the leaf bases is nearer to 30 cm. The vine-like, pendent fibers of the leaf bases resemble those of Leopoldinia piassaba from which brooms are also made. The actual leaves of A. natalia are usually 4.5 m in length but are borne on long, 2.5 m petioles giving them an overall length of 7 m. The leaflets are reduplicate, pinnately cleft and dark green in color. [2]

They are sexually dioecious and markedly dimorphic; male plants produce an unusual 2.75 m inflorescence with many clustered branches of yellow flowers with females producing shorter tufts of yellow flowers surrounded by green to brown bracts. A mature infructescence resembles "a medieval club with spikes if the large amount of hairy black fiber was removed". [1]

Distribution and habitat

A. natalia grows in eastern Ecuador through northern Peru to western Brazil reaching altitudes of 800 m. They are an under-story palm in the Amazon rainforest stretching to the foothills of the Andes.

Related Research Articles

<i>Ammandra</i> Genus of palms

Ammandra is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the palm family found in Colombia and Ecuador, where it is endangered. The sole species is Ammandra decasperma, although another species name has been proposed. It is a pinnate-leaved, dioecious palm whose seeds and petioles are used in button and basket making, respectively. It is commonly called ivory palm or cabecita.

<i>Allagoptera</i> Genus of palms

Allagoptera is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in South America consisting of 5 accepted species. Compared to other genera within the Cocoseae Allagoptera is described as particularly specialized. The genus name is a Greek combination of "change" and "feather", describing the full leaf; it was formerly named Diplothemium.

Calospatha is an extremely rare, monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in peninsular Malaysia, where it is referred to as rotan demuk. It is not common in collections, nor has it been found in the wild for several years, leading some to conclude that the species may have become extinct. While not specialized for the task, these dioecious palms are noted for their climbing habit. The genus name is a combination of two Greek words meaning 'beautiful' and 'spathe'.

<i>Actinorhytis</i> Genus of palms

Actinorhytis is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in Oceania and southeast Asia. The lone species, Actinorhytis calapparia is a rain forest inhabitant and has very large fruit. The genus name is from two Greek words meaning 'ray' and 'fold' which describe the endosperm of the seed.

<i>Dictyocaryum</i> Genus of palms

Dictyocaryum is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in South America. It is closely related to the genus Iriartea; they are commonly called araque or palma real. As many as eleven species have been described but this number is reduced to three in most current accounts. The genus name translates from two Greek words meaning "net" and "nut", describing the thick network of raphe fibers around the seed.

<i>Dictyosperma</i> Genus of palms

Dictyosperma is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean. The sole species, Dictyosperma album, is widely cultivated in the tropics but has been farmed to near extinction in its native habitat. It is commonly called princess palm or hurricane palm, the latter owing to its ability to withstand strong winds by easily shedding leaves. It is closely related to, and resembles, palms in the genus Archontophoenix. The genus is named from two Greek words meaning "net" and "seed" and the epithet is Latin for "white", the common color of the crownshaft at the top of the trunk.

<i>Eleiodoxa</i> Genus of palms

Eleiodoxa is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in Southeast Asia. The only species, Eleiodoxa conferta, is a dioecious, swamp-dwelling plant, commonly called by Malay as asam kelubi or asam paya. While five species names have been published, the other four are usually recognized as synonyms of the lectotype E. conferta. The genus is named from two Greek words meaning "water" and "glory" and the species name is Latin for "congested", an allusion to the flower spike.

<i>Eugeissona</i> Genus of palms from Southeast Asia

Eugeissona is a clustering genus of flowering plant in the palm family native to Borneo, Thailand and Malaysia. The six monoecious species provide a wide range of local uses and are commonly called bertam or wild Bornean sago. The genus is the sole representative of the Eugeissoninae having very few obvious relatives; the hermaphrodite and staminate flowers are also found in Metroxylon, however the other specialized characteristics are unique suggesting an early split and differentiation from other members of the Calameae. Fossilized pollen belonging to these plants has been recovered in the lower and middle Miocene deposits in Sarawak. The name is from two Greek words meaning "good" and "roof", due to their common use in roof thatching.

<i>Laccospadix</i> Genus of palms

Laccospadix is a monotypic plant genus in the palm family which is endemic to Queensland, Australia. The sole described species is Laccospadix australasicus, commonly called Atherton palm or Queensland kentia. The two Greek words from which it is named translate to "reservoir" and "spadix".

<i>Laccosperma</i> Genus of palms from Africa

Laccosperma is a clustering genus of flowering plant in the family palm found in tropical Africa. Poorly studied and rarely cultivated, they are closely related to the genus Eremospatha and with it form a tribe in the Calameae characterized by dyads of hermaphrodite flowers. The genus name combines the Greek words for "reservoir" and "seed".

<i>Leopoldinia</i> Genus of palms

Leopoldinia is a mostly monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family from northern South America, where they are known as jará palm or pissava palm. The two known species are commercially important, especially L. piassaba, which yields sustenance and construction material. The genus is named for Maria Leopoldina, archduchess of Austria, and Brazilian empress.

<i>Lepidocaryum</i> Genus of palms

Lepidocaryum is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family from South America where the lone species, Lepidocaryum tenue, is commonly called poktamui. Nine species names have been published, but palm taxonomists currently agree that just one variable species includes them all. The most reduced member of the Lepidocaryeae, it is similar in appearance to three closely related genera, Mauritia, Mauritiella, and Lytocaryum. The genus name combines the Greek words for "scale" and "nut" and the species epithet is Latin for "thin".

<i>Lepidorrhachis</i> Genus of flowering plants

Lepidorrhachis is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family restricted to Lord Howe Island. The genus name for the single, monoecious species, Lepidorrhachis mooreana, comes from two Greek word meaning "scale" and "rachis", and the epithet honors Charles Moore, first director of the Sydney Botanical Gardens. The common name is Little Mountain Palm.

<i>Lytocaryum</i> Genus of palms

Lytocaryum is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family endemic to the Atlantic coast of Brazil, where 4 species are known. Palms once classified as Microcoelum are herein included; the genus is closely related to Syagrus, from which it is differentiated only by abundant tomentum, strongly versatile anthers, and slight epicarp, mesocarp, and endocarp differences. The name is Greek for "loose" and "nut".

<i>Mauritiella</i> Genus of palms

Mauritiella is a dioecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in South America where it is commonly called buriti. It is named after the similar and closely related genus Mauritia.

<i>Myrialepis</i> Genus of palms

Myrialepis is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family. The single species, Myrialepis paradoxa, is native to Southeast Asia. The genus name is a combination of the Greek words meaning "innumerable" and "scale", a description of the fruit, and the epithet is Latin for "paradox".

Nenga is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family. It is native to Southeast Asia and commonly called pinang palm. N. gajah is the aberration in the genus with its short internodes, marcescent leaves and interfoliar inflorescence, a combination of traits seen in a few species of the closely related Pinanga and Areca palms. The genus name is based on a corruption of a Javanese term for a plant now classified within Pinanga.

<i>Neonicholsonia</i> Genus of palms

Neonicholsonia is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family native to Central America. The sole species is Neonicholsonia watsonii. The genus and species names honor George Nicholson, a former curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and his successor William Watson.

<i>Oraniopsis</i> Genus of palms

Oraniopsis is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family from Queensland, Australia, where the only known species, Oraniopsis appendiculata, grows in mountainous rain forest. Dioecious and extremely slow growing, the name means "similar to Orania" and the Latin epithet translates to "appendaged".

<i>Sommieria</i> Genus of palms

Sommieria is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family endemic to New Guinea where they grow in rain forest understory. The sole species is Sommieria leucophylla. They resemble the Asterogyne palms but are most closely related to those members of Heterospathe with short stems and sparsely branched inlforescences. The name honors Stephen Sommier, European botanist.

References

  1. 1 2 Riffle, Robert L. and Craft, Paul (2003) An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms. Portland: Timber Press. ISBN   0-88192-558-6 / ISBN   978-0-88192-558-6 (Page 250)
  2. Uhl, Natalie W. and Dransfield, John (1987) Genera Palmarum - A classification of palms based on the work of Harold E. Moore. Lawrence, Kansas: Allen Press. ISBN   0-935868-30-5 / ISBN   978-0-935868-30-2