Leopoldinia piassaba Wallace, Palm Trees Amazon : 17 (1853)

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Brazil North present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Colombia present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Venezuela present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
From 0°08'S-3°44'N and 64°04'-67°53'W in the northern Amazon region of Brazil (Amazonas), Colombia (Guainía, Vichada), and Venezuela (Amazonas) at (72-)163(-275) m elevation in non- or seldom flooded forests adjacent to black water rivers. Although only one specimen has been seen from Brazil, L. piassaba occurs along several tributaries of the Rio Negro - the Rio Padauari, Rio Daraá [Daraha], Rio Marié, and Rio Xié (Wallace 1853). (Henderson, A.J., A revision of Leopoldinia (Arecaceae) in Phytotaxa 32. 2011)A

Discussion

  • Taxonomic notes: Leopoldinia piassaba differs from its congeners in its elongate, pendulous leaf sheath fibers and non-flattened, globose to ellipsoid fruits.
    Subspecific variation: There are too few specimens to describe subspecific variation. (Henderson, A.J., A revision of Leopoldinia (Arecaceae) in Phytotaxa 32. 2011)A

Description

  • Plants (4.0)-6.2(-9.0) m tall; stems (4.0-)5.8(-10.0) m tall, 15.0 cm diameter, solitary.
    Leaves (14-)18(-21) per stem; sheaths 45 cm long, fibers from apices elongate, loose, pendulous; petioles 118.8(75.0-150.0) cm long; rachises (270.0-)290.0(-330.0) cm long, (10.6-)18.4(-23.7) mm diameter; pinnae (53-)59(-65) per side of rachis, spreading horizontally, the bases narrowed with abaxial, distal and proximal swellings adjacent to rachis, midveins prominent and raised in cross-section adaxially; basal pinna 41.0 cm long, (0.3-)0.7(-1.0) cm wide, forming an angle of 45° with the rachis; apical pinna 37.0 cm long, (0.7-)0.9(-1.0) cm wide, forming an angle of (3-)6(-10)° with the rachis.
    Inflorescences dimorphic; prophylls no data; peduncular bracts no data; peduncles (32.0-)56.0(-80.0) cm long, 49.8 mm diameter; staminate rachillae (1.3-)1.6(-1.9) cm long; pistillate rachillae (9.5-)14.1(-16.0) cm long;
    fruits (35.5-)41.0(-44.2) mm long, (31.3-)34.6(-36.8) mm diameter, not flattened, globose to ellipsoid, the surfaces with raised, reticulate ridges from mesocarp fibers, giving a wrinkled appearance. (Henderson, A.J., A revision of Leopoldinia (Arecaceae) in Phytotaxa 32. 2011)A

Use Record

  • Leopoldinia piassaba Wallace: A rather similar belief linking palms with forest spirits existis among the Kuripako Indians of the Guainía River, an area representing the northern limit of the curious Leopoldinia piassaba. (…). (…), it is the source of an inusual coarse brown fiber formed by the frayed and rotting petioles, an article of commerce exported from the area and useful for manufacturing ropes, cables and brooms. (…), the natives, belief that the evil spirit, the curupira, inhabit piassaba groves and wanders around the night. (Schultes, R.E. 1974: Palms and religion in the Northwest Amazon)
    Use CategoryUse Sub CategoryPlant PartHuman GroupEthnic GroupCountry
    Utensils and ToolsDomesticPetioleIndigenousNot specifiedColombia
    Utensils and ToolsRopePetioleIndigenousCurripacoColombia
    CulturalRitualEntire plantIndigenousCurripacoColombia
  • Leopoldinia piassaba Wallace: De la base de sus hojas se desprende una melena de fibras largas, rígidas, de enorme tensilidad e incorruptibles en el agua. Con ellas se trenzan cables para amarrar embarcaciones, se fabrican cepillos y escobas de la mejor calidad. La piassaba es una materia prima conocida en el comercio mundial. (Pérez-Arbeláez, E. 1956: Plantas útiles de Colombia)
    Use CategoryUse Sub CategoryPlant PartHuman GroupEthnic GroupCountry
    Utensils and ToolsRopeLeaf sheathNot identifiedN/AColombia
    Utensils and ToolsDomesticLeaf sheathNot identifiedN/AColombia
  • Leopoldinia piassaba Wallace: Palma cuyas hojas son utilizadas para techar; los frutos son de mesocarpo comestible. El estípite se cubre de una fibra muy aprovechada para la elaboración de cepillos, sombreros, escobas, etc. (Acero-Duarte, L.E. 1979: Principales plantas útiles de la Amazonia colombiana)
    Use CategoryUse Sub CategoryPlant PartHuman GroupEthnic GroupCountry
    Utensils and ToolsDomesticStemNot identifiedN/AColombia
    Human FoodFoodFruitsNot identifiedN/AColombia
    ConstructionThatchEntire leafNot identifiedN/AColombia
    CulturalCloth and accessoriesStemNot identifiedN/AColombia
  • Leopoldinia piassaba Wallace: Planta silvestre comestible. (Triana, G. 1985: Los Puinaves del Inirida. Formas de subsistencia y mecanismos de adaptación.)
    Use CategoryUse Sub CategoryPlant PartHuman GroupEthnic GroupCountry
    Human FoodFoodNot specifiedIndigenousPuinaveColombia
  • Leopoldinia piassaba Wallace: Tanto la fibra, como las hojas y los frutos de la palma de chiqui-chiqui o "piassaba" (Leopolidinia piassaba) son recursos que han sido tradicionalmente utilizados por los habitantes locales-comunidades indígenas Curripacas y Puinaves- como elementos de construcción, fabricación de utensilios y alimento. Más recientemente se viene extrayendo la fibra conocida como chiqui-chiqui o marama para suplir parte de la demanda nacional e internacional de fibras naturales, generando ingresos a la población local. (…). La hoja es muy apreciada para el techamiento de las casas debido a su tamaño y ante todo a su durabilidad, comparada con las hojas de otras palmas (…). (…). El fruto de la palma es otra parte de la planta muy apetecida por su alto valor nutritivo y sabor, y se convierte en un componente importante de la dieta en los meses de abril a junio. (…). En el área de estudio la actividad económica más importante, (…), es la extracción y venta/intercambio en bruto de la fibra de marama. (Crizón, I. 2001: Por los territorios de la marama. Extracción de la fibra de chiqui chiqui en la amazonía colombiana)
    Use CategoryUse Sub CategoryPlant PartHuman GroupEthnic GroupCountry
    Human FoodFoodFruitsIndigenousCurripacoColombia
    Utensils and ToolsDomesticStemIndigenousCurripacoColombia
    Human FoodFoodFruitsIndigenousPuinaveColombia
    Utensils and ToolsDomesticStemIndigenousPuinaveColombia
    ConstructionThatchEntire leafIndigenousPuinaveColombia
    EnvironmentalAgroforestryEntire plantIndigenousCurripacoColombia
    EnvironmentalAgroforestryEntire plantIndigenousPuinaveColombia
    ConstructionThatchEntire leafIndigenousCurripacoColombia
  • Leopoldinia piassaba Wallace: The well know Pará piassaba fiber, used for brooms and brushes and also for ropes, hats and baskets, is de product of the chiquichique (Leopoldinia piassaba). (…). The long, tough yet flexible, brown fibers are produced abundantly on the margins of the old, frayed leafstalks which hang down covering the trunk to the very base in a dense, beard-like mass. (…). A similar beverage is also made from the fruits of the chiquichique (Leopoldinia piassaba), the moriche or canangucha (Mauritia minor) the bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba), and the bacabiña or milpesillo (Oenocarpus minor). The "wine" of the moriche is usually allowed to ferment before using. (Dugand, A. 1961: Palms of Colombia)
    Use CategoryUse Sub CategoryPlant PartHuman GroupEthnic GroupCountry
    CulturalCloth and accessoriesPetioleNot identifiedN/AColombia
    Utensils and ToolsRopePetioleNot identifiedN/AColombia
    Utensils and ToolsDomesticPetioleNot identifiedN/AColombia

Bibliography

    A. Henderson, A.J., A revision of Leopoldinia (Arecaceae) in Phytotaxa 32. 2011
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae